MRI: Acquisition of an Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometer with Solid-State Capabilities for Shared Use at the University of Maryland

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Programs. Professor Lyle Isaacs from University of Maryland College Park and colleagues Lawrence Sita, Chunsheng Wang, Dongxia Liu and Efrain Rodriguez are acquiring a 500 MHz solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. An NMR spectometer measures the magnetic properties of atoms when molecules are exposed to various frequencies of light. These signals identify the atoms present in the compound. This spectrometer probes the properties of solid materials, including batteries, polymers, catalysts and biomolecules. The NMR is used by chemists, engineers and their students working on interdisciplinary research in materials, nanoscience, catalysis and energy science. The instrument is the first solid-state NMR at the University of Maryland. It is a resource available to other institutions in the region and a valuable instrument to train students in NMR techniques preparing them for their later careers in academia or industry. This NMR spectrometer enhances research and education at all levels. The infrastructure acquisition impacts the preparation of cucurbit[n]urils, studies of intermetalloid clusters, and the self-assembly of ionophores and hydrogels. The instrumentation is also used to study catalytic metal-mediated small molecule fixation and to carry out carbon-hydrogen bond activation with oxygen as direct oxidant. The spectrometer is useful for preparing new catalysts from zeolite materials, for probing structures in superconducting solids and for studying electrochemical energy storage.