With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program, Professor Terry Gullion from West Virginia University and colleagues Kung Wang, Bjorn Soderberg, Xiaodong Shi and Brian Popp will acquire a 400 MHz NMR spectrometer that would replace two 270 MHz instruments that are over 20 years old. The proposal is aimed at enhancing research training and education at all levels, especially in many areas that support organic chemistry and catalysis such as (a) expanding the organometallic catalysis toolbox; (b) development of synthetic reactions affording nitrogen-containing heterocycles and carbocyclic compounds; (c) transition metal catalyzed reductive cyclization of nitroaromatic compounds; (d) base or photochemically promoted cyclizations of nitroaromatic compounds; (e) annulation reactions of alpha,beta-unsaturated Fischer carbene complexes; (f) synthetic methods for functional 1,2,3-triazoles; and (g) molecular architectures of nonplanar polycyclic aromatic.
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 at West Virginia University and neighboring institutions.
