MRI: Acquisition of a 500 MHz NMR for Faculty Research and Undergraduate Training at Western Washington University

Western Washington University, Bellingham WA

Investigators

Abstract

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Western Washington University will acquire a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer with a triple channel nitrogen-cooled probe. The spectrometer will allow research in the areas of biochemistry, inorganic and synthetic organic chemistry, and the material sciences among others. The research will impact areas of biological and environmental interest such DNA stability and structure, blood substitutes, fuel cells and carbon dioxide mitigation. In general, 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 in solution. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research performed by undergraduate students and masters degree students at Western Washington University. The equipment and associated training will be available free-of-charge to faculty and students at regional institutions,including Seattle University and others from the Seattle area. The award is aimed at enhancing research especially in areas such as studying (a) structure/dynamics and function of the cytoskeleton modulating proteins of the villin/supervillin family; (b) reduction of the carbon dioxide molecule into useable C1 sources utilizing earth abundant metals as catalysts; (c) structure/dynamics investigation of permutein myoglobins and single-strand hemoglobins as potential synthetic blood substitutes; (d) enantioselective synthesis of environmentally- and biologically-relevant natural products; (e) structure/dynamics of sortase enzymes complexed with their polypeptide substrates; (f) probing the design of conductive biomaterials; and (g) polymer-directed synthesis of multimetallic nanoparticles for fuel cell catalysis.