chemistry

Michael Barber (chemist)

Michael Barber (chemist) is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Michael Barber (chemist) rather than just read about it. In short: Michael (Mickey) Barber, FRS (3 November 1934 – 8 May 1991) was a British chemist and mass spectrometrist, best known for his invention of fast atom bombardment ionisation. Biography On 3 November 1934, Barber was born at his family's home in Manchester at 166 Lodge Lane in Newton.

Key takeaways

Michael Barber (chemist) belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reference excerpt

Michael (Mickey) Barber, FRS (3 November 1934 – 8 May 1991) was a British chemist and mass spectrometrist, best known for his invention of fast atom bombardment ionisation.

Biography

On 3 November 1934, Barber was born at his family's home in Manchester at 166 Lodge Lane in Newton. His family were working-class and underprivileged. Barber was one of two boys; his brother Peter was born in 1927. His father, Joseph Barber, was a carpenter. He went to Manchester Grammar School and was then educated at the Queen's College, Oxford, obtaining his B.A. in 1958 and his B.Sc. in 1959. There he worked with Jack Linnett and they designed and built a mass spectrometer for the analysis of flames. He married Joan Gaskell in 1958, the couple had three children. In 1961 he returned to Manchester to work at the Scientific Instruments division of Associated Electrical Industries. There, he and Martin Elliott developed a method to study the fragmentation of ions with a mass spectrometer and started to work on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In 1973 he took up a lectureship position at UMIST and was promoted to Professor in 1985. In the same year, 1985, he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He remained at Manchester until his death.

Fast atom bombardment

Fast atom bombardment (FAB) is a method of ionization used in mass spectrometry that uses a beam of high energy atoms strikes a surface to create ions. An energetic beam of atoms or ions will destroy an organic molecule under conditions typically used to create secondary ions. Barber realised that mixing the compound of interest with a vacuum compatible low-volatility liquid such as glycerol effectively protected the organic molecule and allowed it to be ionized and detected. The protecting liquid "matrix" allowed compounds as large as 10,000 Da molecular mass to be detected. The concept of a protecting matrix was later used in matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization. The FAB technique was employed by Barber, Howard Morris (biochemist) and co-workers for early peptide sequencing experiments.

Honours and distinctions Royal Society of Chemistry Award for analytical chemistry and instrumentation (1979) Fellow of the Royal Society (1985) American Society for Mass Spectrometry – The Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry Award (1991) The Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry based at the University of Manchester, is named in honour of him.

References

External links Barber, Michael; Bordoli, Robert S.; Sedgwick, R. Donald; Tyler, Andrew N. (1981). "Fast atom bombardment of solids (F.A.B.): a new ion source for mass spectrometry". Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications (7): 325. doi:10.1039/c39810000325. ISSN 0022-4936. Michael Barber Centre, University of Manchester Advances in Mass Spectrometry (Waldron, J. D)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Michael Barber (chemist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Michael Barber (chemist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Michael Barber (chemist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Michael Barber (chemist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Michael Barber (chemist)

In research: Michael Barber (chemist) appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Michael Barber (chemist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Michael Barber (chemist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1934 births, 1991 deaths, 20th-century British chemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Michael Barber (chemist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Michael Barber (chemist) in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Michael Barber (chemist) in simple terms?

Michael (Mickey) Barber, FRS (3 November 1934 – 8 May 1991) was a British chemist and mass spectrometrist, best known for his invention of fast atom bombardment ionisation. Biography On 3 November 1934, Barber was born at his family's home in Manchester at 166 Lodge Lane in Newton.

Why does Michael Barber (chemist) matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Michael Barber (chemist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Michael Barber (chemist).