With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program Professor Katherine Kantardjieff and colleagues Sean Liu, Philip Lukeman, Michael Page and Floyd Klavetter from Cal Poly Pomona will acquire a 400 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer with various probes and an autosampler. The proposal is aimed at enhancing research training and education at all levels, especially in areas of study such as design, synthesis and characterization of liquid crystals as electrical conductors and environmentally responsive sensors, synthesis of green polyurethanes, design, synthesis andcharacterization of ion-conductive materials, engineering bacterial cytochromes c' with designed properties, kinetics of DNA-crosslinking, development of lanthanide chelates as biometabolite reporters, design and synthesis of nanostructured heterogenous catalysts and structural characterization of plant products with medicinal and physiological properties.
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. 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 chemistry and biochemistry. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research.
An Agilent 400 MHz high field NMR was used and continues to be used to assist senior project and masters student research. Students gain experience with use of the instrument and in analysis of compounds synthesized in their research. Several research students presented their research at local national scientific meetings in research on biodiesel and in liquid crystals. The NMR was utilized in all organic lab courses, including lower division and upper division. Collaboration occurred with faculty from the biology department in research on allicin in garlic and faculty from the chemical engineering department in research on biodiesel. Intended collaborations, use and training, with 3 local community colleges did not occur, even though multiple opportunities were offered. The output on this grant is less than desired due to a significant loss of faculty in the chemistry department. The lead PI and another key PI left the university in the first year of the grant. Two PIs did not use the NMR in their research. However, two other non-PI faculty members did extensively use the NMR in their research (one of these was added to the grant as a substitute PI). During the past four years, 5 other faculty members have retired, and 2 additional faculty members left the department (a total loss of 9 faculty members). During this same time period the number of majors has increased from about 150 to just under 400 majors, providing a larger student population who can use the NMR in the future. In a more hopeful sign, the department was allowed to hire one new faculty member in each of the last 3 years, the most recent addition starting in Fall 2014. This most recent hire is an active researcher and uses NMR extensively in his research.
