The NMR Facility at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry UC Santa Barbara houses two outdated NMR spectrometers dedicated to chemistry research of organic/inorganic small molecules, peptides and polymers. Funding is requested to replace the console for a 16-year old 500 MHz spectrometer with a state-of-the-art digital console and a room-temperature universal probe optimized for both 1H and X-nucleus detection. Our current, older generation Varian Untity Inova console lacks basic automation features that are common in current generation of consoles used in routine NMR analysis, severely restricting instrument throughput and efficiency. Moreover, as the stability of the console components deteriorates, vendor support and availability of replacement parts are diminishing. The requested, state-of-the-art console and probe replacements offer much needed auto- tuning and shimming capabilities, complete digital control of signal and RF pulse routing, improved lock sensitivity and stability, reduced noise and artifacts, and expanded experimental capabilities. Moreover, the latest Bruker SmartProbe offers more than double the 1H sensitivity compared to what we currently have on the instrument while achieving a moderate sensitivity gain for all X-nuclei. The upgrade also delivers an expanded variable temperature range, improved temperature stability and more convenient low-temperature setup. The upgraded spectrometer will continue to play an essential role in meeting the research needs of various NIH-funded projects in the department.
NMR is the most important analytical technique for organic synthesis. The upgrade describe in this application will substantially enhance or in certain cases enable research of five NIH funded research groups whose focus is in the areas of the development of new organic synthesis methods for the discovery of therapeutic agents and the synthesis of novel drug leads based on bioactive molecules from nature.
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