Acquisition of a 300 MHz NMR Instrument

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ABSTRACT CTS-9413698 Eric Beckman This proposal is for the partial replacement of an exciting MSL 300MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) instrument used for both liquids and solids, with an AMX 300MHz instrument manufactured by Bruker. The magnet, preamplifiers and high power amplifiers of the existing instrument will be retained, while the console, computer, and disk drives will be replaced. Further, new probeheads will be acquired. The MSL300 instrument while vital to many research programs ongoing at the University, has reached the point where maintenance costs have become prohibitively expensive because of the frequent need for repairs and replacement of parts. Further, obtaining the right parts has itself become increasingly difficult. Finally, the manufacturer does not provide new software for this type of instrument, as it does for newer models. The main areas of research currently underway involve materials synthesis, processing of heavy molecules (particularly coal and petroleum resid, individually or in co-processing schemes), and catalysis, including characterization of catalysts. The NMR analyses play an essential role in the structural studies of materials, products, and catalysts, in determinations of mechanism, in kinetic studies of reactions, and in the development of various processes, and is the only instrument with MAS capability (i.e. which can analyze solid samples) in Pittsburgh. Research which currently employs the NMR is sponsored by NSF, DOE, EPA, DOD, and a number of industrial concerns, including local companies such as Miles, Calgon, and Westinghouse. In 1994, sixteen graduate students, working under the supervision of the Principal Investigators on this proposal, need to use the NMR instrument in their research. In addition to supporting their research projects, unique instruments such as the MAS-NMR provide invaluable training experiences for graduate and undergraduate students. From 1990 to the present, the Co-PI has been the director of th e NMR facility, responsible for maintenance, repair, and user scheduling. The current NMR instrument is in use at least six days per week and is made available to researchers both within and from outside the University.