With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program that is co-funded by the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, Professor Tadeusz Malinski from Ohio University and colleagues Eric Masson, Stephen Bergmeier, Michael Jensen and Jennifer Hines will acquire a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer (11.7 Tesla magnet, 54 mm bore, with active shielding.) The new spectrometer would have gradient shimming, 4-radiofrequency channel, a variable temperature unit, and three probes: an inverse triple resonance microprobe for the observation of 1H while decoupling 13C and 15N nuclei and a multinuclear broadband Fluorine Observe SmartProbe. The project is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) study of highly complex macromolecules from natural products and from synthetic preparations; (b) synthesis of medicinally relevant natural and unnatural products; (c) study of recognition properties and applications of the Cucurbituril family of macrocycles using supramolecular chemistry; (d) identification of highly substituted polypyridine-metal complexes that have a large number of overlapping aromatic protons in spectra collected at lower field strength; (e) use of paramagnetic NMR techniques; (f) development of RNA-targeted ligands; and (g) nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathways.
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 and will impact a large number of students including some from the Appalachian Ohio region and also industrial partnerships. Collaborations will expose students from the University of Rio Grande and Shawnee State to the scientific capabilities of NMR instrumentation.
