MRI: Acquisition of a Single Crystal X-ray Diffractometer

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Viktor Nemykin and colleagues from the University of Minnesota - Duluth will acquire a single crystal X-ray diffractometer with a CCD detector for use in chemical research, including: 1) characterization of binuclear lanthanide complexes, 2) studies with a new beta-hydroxy ester synthon equivalent, 3) structure-activity studies of toxoplasma gondii inhibitors, 4) studies of high-valent transition metal arene complexes, 5) structural analysis of organic natural products, and other projects. Besides being available to users at the University of Minnesota -- Duluth, researchers at the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, MN) and University of Wisconsin - Superior will also use the instrument for their own research projects.The technique of single-crystal X-ray crystallography allows accurate and precise determination of the full three dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and it provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of molecules relative to the neighboring molecules. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas ranging from synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry to systems of biological interest and materials research. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research, and will serve universities and colleges in a region of the country (northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin) that do not currently have modern crystallography facilities.