With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation program (CRIF:MU), Professors Seiichi P. Matsuda, Ronald J. Parry and colleagues from the Department of Chemistry at William Marsh Rice University will upgrade a 200 and a 500 MHz NMR spectrometers, both of which will have solid state capabilities. The instrument will be used to support research activities such as: 1) studies of the structure and reactivity of transition metals in organic chemistry; 2) analysis of the structures of complex nano and composite materials; 3) use of NMR techniques to understand and manage the Earth's carbon cycle; 4) biosynthetic studies of biologically active natural products; 5) investigations of graphene nanoribbons and derivatives; and 6) analysis of organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles.
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 solids and in solution. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The results from these NMR studies will have an impact in synthetic organic/inorganic chemistry, materials and biochemistry.
This project is a major upgrade of two Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometers. These workhorse instruments of modern chemistry allow researchers to determine the purity, composition, and molecular properties of a sample through application of radio frequency energy in a large external magnetic field. Our two instruments differ in the types of samples they analyze and the power of their magnetic field. Thousands of samples have been analyzed over the project term, ranging from complex chemical mixtures (solution state) to naturally occurring ground samples of soil and chemically modified graphite (solid state). The improved electronics have resulted in more reliable operation and higher quality spectra obtained in less time than previously. This increased productivity has allowed a larger number of undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate researchers to obtain hands-on experience analyzing their samples, which has led to numerous scientific publications bolstered by their respective NMR data. Determining the molecular composition of a prepared sample can confirm its chemical structure, and in many cases these are compounds that have never been made before or materials whose structures have previously been unknown. Our plans to broaden participation included increasing the accessibility and functionality of our upgraded instruments to constituents outside of chemistry, including the departments of Earth Science, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and NanoEngineering, whose researchers found the NMR instruments valuable in their studies. External academic researchers from Louisiana, Michigan and North Carolina, and other parts of Texas, including many throughout the Texas Medical Center, have also benefited from the upgraded instrumentation. Indeed, one undergraduate at another university involved in research using one of the upgraded spectrometers decided to come to Rice for graduate work. Additionally, we continue to provide routine tours of our NMR facility to prospective faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as community groups including K-12 students throughout Houston. We explain the capabilities of the instrumentation and the impact the data generated can have on making new discoveries. NMR analysis remains a critical technique in determining compound structure and is required, in most cases, for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The upgraded instruments have allowed more users to obtain spectra and publish their work on topics ranging from studying the properties of conductive materials, to properties of soil in various locations, to identifying novel compounds with biological activity towards treating diseases.
