Equipment: Helium Recovery Equipment: Critical Helium Recycling System for CSUN to Preserve NMR Access for Research and Teaching

在化学系（CHE）和分子与细胞生物科学系（MCB）的共同资助下，加州州立大学北岭分校（CSUN）的加勒特教授和他的同事们正在为该系的核磁共振（NMR）仪器增加一个液氦回收厂，该仪器用于教师和学生的研究以及教授众多本科生和研究生课程。氦气是一种不可再生的资源，它被浓缩成一种超冷液体，用于冷却CSUN的核磁共振仪器，并使研究广泛的有机和生化分子成为可能。回收工厂将收集从两台核磁共振仪器中蒸发的氦气，然后将其浓缩再利用。回收系统将减少购买液氦的需求，从而降低成本，并有助于保存纯化的氦，这是一种宝贵的自然资源，可长期使用。CSUN化学与生物化学系有三台核磁共振光谱仪，其中两台（多核400兆赫和600兆赫仪器）彼此靠近，因此适合共享回收技术。氦气回收系统将减少该部门每年800升的氦气消耗高达70%，确保教职员工和学生继续使用这些仪器。除了支持的研究之外，这将使关键的核磁共振实验能够继续纳入几个核心课程，包括有机化学，有机合成，无机化学和深入的有机分析选修课。CSUN是一所面向西班牙裔学生的大型大学，它也为大量的第一代学生提供学术机会。大多数本科生和所有的研究生从事研究，大约一半的部门的教师需要核磁共振数据为他们的研究计划。其中包括专注于有机合成方法、天然产物合成、电池和氢技术、蛋白质伴侣生物化学和生物活性化合物的化学家和生物化学家。因此，氦气回收工厂将为该部门的双重教研使命增加重要价值。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Division of Chemistry (CHE), and co-funding from the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), Professor Garrett and his colleagues at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), are adding a liquid helium recycling plant to the department’s nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instruments used in faculty and student research as well as in teaching numerous undergraduate and graduate classes. Helium gas is a non-renewable resource that is condensed to a supercold liquid needed to cool CSUN’s NMR instruments and enable study a broad range of organic and biochemical molecules. The recycling plant will collect the helium gas that evaporates from two NMR instruments, then condense and reuse it. The recycling system will reduces the need to purchase liquid helium, and so reduce costs and contribute to the preservation of purified He, a precious natural resource, for long-term usage.The CSUN Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has three NMR spectrometers, two of which (multinuclear 400 MHz and 600 MHz instruments) are located close to each other and so are amenable to sharing recycling technology. The helium recycling system will reduce the Department’s 800 liter/year helium consumption by up to 70%, assuring continued faculty and student access to the instruments. In addition to supported research, this will enable continued incorporation of critical NMR experiments into several core classes, including organic chemistry, organic synthesis, inorganic chemistry and an in-depth organic analysis elective. CSUN is a large, Hispanic-serving university, that also provides academic opportunities to a significant number of first-generation students. Most undergraduates and all graduate students engage in research and approximately half of the department’s faculty need NMR data for their research programs. These include chemists and biochemists focused on organic synthetic methodology, natural product synthesis, battery and hydrogen technology, the biochemistry of protein chaperones, and biologically active compounds. As such, the helium recycling plant will add significant value to the department's dual teaching-research mission.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.