With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation program (CRIF:MU), Professors Martin L. Kirk, Richard Kemp, Patrick S. Mariano, Robert T. Paine and Wei Wang from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the University of New Mexico will acquire a low-field (300 MHz) multinuclear NMR spectrometer. The instrument will be used to support research activities such as: 1) synthetic methodologies that allow for step by-step (atom-by-atom) assembly of new families of main group element ring and polycyclic cage compounds rich in Group 13, 14 and 15 elements; 2) activation and fixing of small molecules such as carbon dioxide, COS, carbon disulfide, and oxygen to produce more valuable products; 3) homogeneous catalytic routes to epoxides and other partially-oxidized organics using late transition metal pincer complexes; 4) characterization of structures and stereochemistry of synthetic intermediates and natural and non-natural products; 5) rational design of Giardia lamblia growth inhibitors as well as study of phosphoproteins; 6) study of donor-bridge-acceptor systems as potential components of molecular wire devices and, 7) synthesis of new inhibitors of the proteins cholesterol esterase, lactate dehydrogenase, NfKB, urokinase, aldose reductase, HIV protease and Abeta aggregates.
Multinuclear NMR spectroscopy is an essential analytical tool in chemistry and biochemistry research. The spectra enable researchers to identify unknown substances and to provide information on the atom arrangement and structures in species ranging from small molecules to large proteins by detecting transitions between energy levels arising from the nuclear spin properties of atoms. This spectrometer will enhance many research activities of investigators and students, many of whom are from underrepresented groups.
Nature of the Project: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy uses a combination of magnetic fields and radio waves to obtain vital information regarding the chemical structure and dynamics of molecules. NMR is an extremely powerful analytical tool in modern chemical research and is crucial to the vitality of graduate and undergraduate programs in chemistry. The Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department at The University of New Mexico has developed concentrated research foci in biological chemistry and materials chemistry, in addition to maintaining teaching and research efforts in the traditional areas of chemistry. Synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry play significant roles in our Department. Therefore the characterization of chemical compounds by NMR is extremely important, and numerous researchers in our Department have greatly benefited from the purchase of this new NMR spectrometer. Outcomes and Findings: Intellectual Merit The final outcomes and findings of the project have already been or will be broadly disseminated in the scientific literature and at a variety of scientific meetings and conferences. Examples of key outcomes and findings resulting from the funded project include using the NMR instrument to: 1) characterize compounds designed to recycle carbon dioxide into transportation fuels and useful chemicals, 2) support research endeavors directed toward the preparation of new materials for more efficient organic photovoltaics, 3) characterize new molecules and enzyme models that have contributed to our increased understanding of enzyme mechanism and structure as they relate to enzyme function and disease states, 4) characterize new molecules that have increased our understanding of molecular electron transfer and transport (molecular electronics), and electronics that utilize the spin of the electron (spintronics), 5) elucidate interface structure and interactions in charge transfer complexes of donor/acceptor conjugated materials used in next generation organic solar cells, 6) support efforts to develop advanced materials used for selective and efficient recovery of strategic and rare materials from harsh environments, 7) aid in the development and understanding of new chemical reactions and their utility in preparing biochemically active and potentially medicinally significant substances, 8) develop a novel miRNA regulating strategy that will have broad impact for all biological research fields involving miRNA studies, and 9) elucidate structures of novel natural products that are potential drugs, drug leads, or cellular probes. Broader Impacts The University of New Mexico is a majority-minority institution. Our undergraduate chemistry program has a high percentage of minority and other traditionally under-represented groups, and both undergraduate and high-school students have benefitted from this instrumentation. We feel that our students should have a hands-on experience with state of the art instrumentation since chemistry is an experimental science. It is through experimentation that new knowledge is generated, and it is through experimentation that students are challenged and the learning process is solidified. Because of this, the Department has encouraged undergraduates to participate in research, and the majority of undergraduate chemistry majors do participate in undergraduate research. Undergraduate students performing research routinely obtain the necessary training to acquire and process their own NMR spectra. All of the research projects listed above included graduate and postdoctoral students. Most included undergraduate researchers and several included high school students. These researchers have attended state, national, and international meetings, and presented posters and papers. The department regularly offers a training course in NMR spectroscopy for both undergraduate and graduate students. The department has long incorporated NMR into the curricula of several undergraduate labs, and this acquisition has allowed us to expand those labs. Funding of this proposal allowed us to enhance the education of students in other departments on campus, particularly Chemical Engineering, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the School of Medicine. Finally, the acquisition has allowed increased access to state-of-the-art instrumentation by our growing list of New Mexico users from outside the university.
