Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most powerful tool available to the chemist for the elucidation of the structure of molecules. It is used to identify unknown substances, characterize specific arrangements of atoms within molecules, and to study the dynamics of interactions between molecules in solutions. Access to modern NMR spectrometry is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The Department of Chemistry at Montana State University will use an award from the Chemistry Shared Instrumentation Program and the Biological Instrumentation Program and an award from NIH to help purchase a state-of-the-art NMR spectrometer. The areas of chemistry and biology that will be enheanced by the acquisition of the instrument include: 1) Structural studies of inorganic complexes 2) Structure determination of natural products 3) NMR studies of visual membranes, membrane transport and membrane structure 4) Structure and kinetic analyses of novel organometallic complexes and their reactions 5) Structure analyses in support of mechanistic studies, synthetic methodology and total syntheses 6) Structural chemistry of novel phytotoxins In addition to serving the NMR needs of Montana State, the instrument will be used as a resource by chemists from Montana School of Mines and Technology, the University of Montana, Eastern Montana College, and Western Montana College.
