Modern solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy offers the chemist one of the most powerful tools available for the study of the physical and chemical properties of materials. Fundamental knowledge of structure and dynamics of materials as diverse as biopolymers, resins, coals, and liquid crystals is accessible by solid-state NMR techniques. Solid-state NMR studies often complement those carried out using solution NMR and X-ray analysis. Access to solid-state NMR is rapidly becoming essential to chemists carrying out frontier research. This award from the Chemistry Shared Instrumentation Program and the Instrumentation for Materials Research Program will help the Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, to acquire a high-field NMR spectrometer suitable for carrying out solid-state NMR studies. The areas of chemical research that will be enhanced by the acquisition include the following: 1) Solid-state NMR of chemically modified surfaces 2) NMR of polymer melts, liquid crystals, solids and gels 3) Solid-state NMR spectral studies of polymer-bound transition metal electrocatalysts 4) Carbon-13 and phosphorous-31 CP-MAS NMR studies of dioxyphosphoranes 5) Electroactive polymers and films 6) High-resolution electrophoretic NMR and MRI for the characterization of microemulsions.
