With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Professor Miguel Garcia-Garibay from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and colleagues Louis Bouchard, Richard Kaner, Alexander Spokoyny and Jeffery Zink aquired a 600 MHz NMR spectrometer with solid state capabilities. This spectrometer allows research in a variety of fields such as those that accelerate chemical reactions of significant economic importance, as well as those that allow study of biologically relevant species. 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 or in the solid state. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The results from these NMR studies impact synthetic organic/inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry and biochemistry. This instrument is an integral part of teaching as well as research performed by undergraduate students at the University of California at Los Angeles. This new high-field NMR spectrometer, to be placed in an open-access, shared instrumentation facility, enriches the research experiences of the many graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduate researchers who pursue research projects utilizing solid-state NMR. The research supported by the use of solid-state NMR is very broad-based, encompassing materials characterization, chemical synthesis, toxicology, and instrumental analysis.
The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as: (a) amphidynamic crystalline materials based on inertial rotors and dipolar arrays; (b) in situ imaging of chemically reacting flows; (c) high throughput screening of anti-fouling and anti-bacterial coating films; (d) naturally occurring proteins and other biomolecules that act as robust and generalizable dispersing agents for metal oxide nanoparticles; (e) cationic surface coatings on non-toxic nanoparticles that enhance cellular uptake especially those where the toxicity increases with the molecular weight on the polymer coating; (f) the unexpected effect of the aspect ratio of nanorods on cellular uptake; (g) cerium dioxide nanowires of precisely controlled length that can be synthesized using hydrothermal methods; (h) metallic surface states in thalium compounds; (i) robust thin films for desalination; (j) polymers produced from boron-rich clusters; and (k) nanoparticle-based machines for trapping and releasing molecules from mesopores.
