Gary M. Hieftje
Distinguished Professor
Robert & Marjorie Mann Chair in Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
A150 Chemistry Building
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405

Phone: (812) 855-2189
Fax: (812) 855-0958
Email: Hieftje@indiana.edu

Gary Hieftje is one of the most distinguished analytical chemists in the U.S., having won all five major national awards in analytical chemistry and published twelve books, over 450 scholarly publications, and generated thirteen patents. Over 100 post-doctoral associates and graduate students have trained under his direction. His main research interests are in atomic emission, absorption, mass and fluorescence spectrometric analysis, and the development of atomic methods of analysis. He also is interested in on-line computer control of chemical instruments and experiments, the use of time-resolved luminescence processes for analysis, the application of information theory to analytical chemistry, near-infrared reflectance analysis, and the use of stochastic processes to extract basic and kinetic chemical information.

Of greatest interest for high precision isotope ratio measurements is Dr. Hieftje involvement in the development of a “focal-plane camera”, a Faraday strip detector array that allows for simultaneous detection of ion beams over a wide mass-to-charge range, with a linear dynamic range of seven orders of magnitude. The current version of the detector includes 128 separate faraday collectors. Published descriptions of the “focal-plane camera” can be found in following publications:

Barnes, J. H., Hieftje, G. M., Denton, M. B., Sperline, R., Koppenaal, D. W., and Barinaga, C., 2003, A mass spectrometry detector array that provides truly simultaneous detection: American Laboratory, v. 35, no. 20, p. 15-+.

Barnes, J. H., Schilling, G. D., Sperline, R., Denton, M. B., Young, E. T., Barinaga, C. J., Koppenaal, D. W., and Hieftje, G. M., 2004, Characterization of a focal plane camera fitted to a Mattauch-Herzog geometry mass spectrograph. 2. Use with an inductively coupled plasma: Analytical Chemistry, v. 76, no. 9, p. 2531-2536.

The latest information of the progress of the FPC can be found on Dr. Hieftje’s elemental and new ideas websites.



Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
The Idaho National Laboratory mass spectrometry team of Jim Delmore, Tony Appelhans, and John Olson focus on advancing the state of the art in mass spectrometry instrumentation and its application. They are exploring the underlying chemistry and physics of the processes involved in thermal ionization and relating the ion production to the chemistry present in the solid state. Research in thermal ionization, supported by the Department of Energy's Basic Energy Science and National Security offices, focuses on fundamental research addressing how the solid state chemistry at the ion emission surface influences the ion emission efficiency. Instrument research and development activities include ion optics modeling, wide dispersion magnetic sector design, ion trap secondary ion mass spectrometry, and high temperature surface analysis. The mass spectrometry team is widely known for fundamental contributions to the field of ion optics modeling that include SIMION — a computer program that is used to design ion optical components for mass spectrometers. In 1998 Dave Dahl, now retired, received the American Society for Mass Spectrometry's Award for a Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry for his development of SIMION. The group has also received three R&D-100 Awards related to instrument research and development. These unique instruments and capabilities are being used for the speciation of toxic materials, radionuclides and transuranics on mineral surfaces; detection of chemical weapons materials and pesticides on environmental surfaces such as soil, vegetation, and concrete; and for trace analysis of radionuclides in the environment.

The current thrusts include: a) development of a high sensitivity multicollector thermal ionization mass spectrometer using a unique method for dispersing the mass separated beams so that full-sized pulse counting detectors can operate simultaneously on up to seven isotopes; b) development of new chemical preparation methods to enable single-filament TIMS of elements such as iodine and technetium; c) development of improved methods for preparing uranium and actinide samples for TIMS analysis.

Isotopic Analysis of Iodine Using Negative Surface Ionization: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry and Ion Physics Volume: 43, 1982, pp. 273-281.

High temperature chemistry of molten glass ion emitters: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry Volume: 213, Issue: 1, January 23, 2002, pp. 63-80.

Ag ion formation mechanisms in molten glass ion emitters: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry Volume: 208, Issue: 1-3, July 18, 2001, pp. 37-57.

High intensity perrhenate anion (ReO₄ ^-) emitters: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry Volume: 229, Issue: 3, October, 2003, pp. 157-166.

simion for the personal computer in reflection: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry Volume: 200, Issue: 1-3, December 25, 2000, pp. 3-25

Wide dispersion multiple collector isotope ratio mass spectrometer: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry Volume: 241, Issue: 1, February 15, 2005, pp. 1-9.