Equipment: Helium Recovery Equipment: Critical Helium Recycling System for CSUN to Preserve NMR Access for Research and Teaching

The University Corporation, Northridge, Northridge CA

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Division of Chemistry (CHE), and co-funding from the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), Professor Garrett and his colleagues at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), are adding a liquid helium recycling plant to the department’s nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instruments used in faculty and student research as well as in teaching numerous undergraduate and graduate classes. Helium gas is a non-renewable resource that is condensed to a supercold liquid needed to cool CSUN’s NMR instruments and enable study a broad range of organic and biochemical molecules. The recycling plant will collect the helium gas that evaporates from two NMR instruments, then condense and reuse it. The recycling system will reduces the need to purchase liquid helium, and so reduce costs and contribute to the preservation of purified He, a precious natural resource, for long-term usage. The CSUN Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has three NMR spectrometers, two of which (multinuclear 400 MHz and 600 MHz instruments) are located close to each other and so are amenable to sharing recycling technology. The helium recycling system will reduce the Department’s 800 liter/year helium consumption by up to 70%, assuring continued faculty and student access to the instruments. In addition to supported research, this will enable continued incorporation of critical NMR experiments into several core classes, including organic chemistry, organic synthesis, inorganic chemistry and an in-depth organic analysis elective. CSUN is a large, Hispanic-serving university, that also provides academic opportunities to a significant number of first-generation students. Most undergraduates and all graduate students engage in research and approximately half of the department’s faculty need NMR data for their research programs. These include chemists and biochemists focused on organic synthetic methodology, natural product synthesis, battery and hydrogen technology, the biochemistry of protein chaperones, and biologically active compounds. As such, the helium recycling plant will add significant value to the department's dual teaching-research mission. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.