This Major Research Instrumentation award funds the acquisition of a 400 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer to sustain research programs in organometallic, organic, bioinorganic, and biochemistry. Research performed using the new NMR includes studies on the impact of metal-metal bonds on ligand-based reactivity, development of cutting-edge Cu-catalyzed click methodology for the syntheses of fluorophores as light-emitting materials, analysis of molecules that influence lateral root formation in Arabidopsis thaliana , and copper interactions in zinc-binding peptides and developing porphyrins with light-harvesting properties for solar energy conversion applications. These projects utilize the multinuclear (e.g., 31P, 19F, 11B) and variable temperature capabilities of the new NMR and take advantage of the increased sensitivity to permit efficient acquisition of data from routine 1D and sophisticated 2D experiments. At Macalester College, vigorous scholarly activity by faculty and students facilitates the creation of new knowledge and ensures that the next generation of scientists receives state-of-the-art training. High quality research training of undergraduates is enabled by the new NMR. The NMR is also used in summer research programs to stimulate interest in science among high school students from underrepresented groups. Results from the NMR studies will be broadly disseminated through abstracts and peer reviewed publications, as well as by active participation of students and faculty at professional meetings.
As of September 2013, Macalester faculty members held 20 grants from the National Science Foundation, totaling $4.5 million. On a per-capita basis, that places Macalester number one among 40 peer liberal arts and science colleges nationally for the second time in three years. The robust investment that Macalester College specifically leverages for training its chemistry students is manifested in part by the large percentage of our graduates who obtain advanced degrees. Between 2000 and 2009, 84% of Macalester chemistry graduates went on to earn advanced degrees, with 67% of chemistry majors pursuing programs in science and engineering while 23% went on to medical school. To continue serving as a pipeline for chemists who will play leading roles in National universities, colleges, industry, and medicine ongoing investment in our chemical instrumentation infrastructure is vital. To this end, this NSF grant supported the purchase of a state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer to replace an obsolete instrument. Nuclear magnetic resonance is a chemical method to deduce the connectivity of atoms (the "structure") within molecules. Since a large percentage of chemists require knowledge of molecular structure and the ability to experimentally deduce molecular structure, chemical education necessitates training in this technology, ideally with instrumentation graduates are likely to encounter as professional chemists. The acquisition of this instrument permitted dramatic transformation of our laboratory curriculum to provide hands-on training of various facets of NMR technology to students in four undergraduate courses (Organic Chemistry I and II, Physical Chemistry I, and Inorganic Chemistry). The final figure provides an example of a "COSY" spectrum (COSY is an abbreviation of the NMR technique used to acquire these data) that Macalester students learn to interpret within their organic chemistry training. The diverse student body at Macalester affords significant training of students from groups traditionally underrepresented in science. For example, in a recent Organic Chemistry II class that used the spectrometer, 13 of 61 students were classified (on the basis of IPEDS data) as non-white (African-American (2), Hispanic-American (3), Asian-American (4), and Multi-racial (4)). The training of our chemistry majors often includes a research experience mentored by our faculty, where students tackle open-ended questions of interest of various sub-disciplines of chemistry. These experiences model those these students may engage in graduate programs, and often lead to peer-reviewed publications and off-campus presentations at professional venues. This NSF-funded instrument resulted in the training of more than 30 research students in NMR techniques during the funding period, leading to two publications of research in peer-reviewed journals with undergraduate co-authorship, with more results remaining to be communicated upon project completion. The solid-state structures of two metal complexes that were deduced in solution via NMR spectroscopy during summer 2011 are shown in the second and third figures, respectively.
