With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Professor Michael Haley from the University of Oregon Eugene and colleague S. Michael Strain will acquire a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer equipped with a broad band observe multinuclear broadband cryoprobe with automated tuning. These capabilities will be used for characterizing complex and/or low-solubility synthetic materials ranging from compounds designed for organic electronic applications to RNA biopolymers and "designed" nanoparticles. The spectrometer will be placed in the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR). In general, 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 by postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Oregon Eugene and will also impact outreach activities involving K-12 programs that target schools with a predominantly minority populations as well as industrial collaborators. The resource will be available to students and collaborators at the University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon State University, Portland State University, and Lane Community College.
The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) synthesizing Fe-phosphine complexes for use as liquid-phase absorbents in the purification of natural gas; (b) synthesizing precision engineered nanoparticles; (c) using indenofluorene and indenofluorenediones as electron-accepting scaffolds for organic electronics; (d) studying nanoscale aqueous M13 clusters and molecular probes for small molecule/ion recognition; (e) self-assembling ligands for transition metal catalysts and chemical tools for studying biological hydrogen sulfide; and (f) using Pt(II) reagents for RNA biochemistry.
