MRI: Acquisition of High-sensitivity NMR Capabilities for the University of Oregon Magnetic Resonance Facility

University Of Oregon Eugene, Eugene OR

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Michael Haley and colleagues Victoria J. DeRose, Darren W. Johnson, Shih-Yuan Liu and David R. Tyler will upgrade two NMR spectrometers. The requested instrumentation includes a new console, carbon-13 optimized cryoprobe and tunable broadband probe for a 600 MHz NMR system, as well as a tunable broadband probe for a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer. The instrumentation will be used for studies of 1) solvent effects in cages, 2) carbon-rich networks and materials based on phenyl-acetylene scaffolding, 3) RNA structural biology, 4) development of carbon-boron-nitrogen heterocycles as hydrogen storage materials and 5)polymetal nanoclusters and Main Group supramolecular chemistry. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the most powerful tools available to chemists for the elucidation of the structure of molecules. It is used to identify unknown substances, to characterize specific arrangements of atoms within molecules, and to study the dynamics of interactions between molecules. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The results from these NMR studies will have an impact in synthetic organic/inorganic chemistry, biochemistry and the environment. These instruments will be an integral part of teaching as well as research.