Equipment: Helium Recovery Equipment: Acquisition of a Helium Recovery and Liquefaction System for the IU NMR Facility

在化学学部的支持下，印第安纳大学的高新峰博士和乔纳森·卡蒂博士正在购买氦气回收和液化设备，以回收印第安纳大学布卢明顿（IUB）核磁共振（NMR）设施中8台光谱仪使用的氦气。核磁共振是研究人员用来研究各种分子的结构和运动的重要方法。液氦用于维持核磁共振光谱仪必不可少的磁体的超导性。由于氦慢慢蒸发，需要定期用液氦进行补充。IUB核磁共振设备每年使用大约4200升液氦。氦是一种珍贵的不可再生的自然资源，对航空航天、医疗和科学研究界至关重要。目前的供应不足以满足所有的需要。IUB将建立一个系统来捕获从核磁共振磁体中蒸发的氦气，然后将其液化以供再利用。该氦气回收系统将大大减少IUB核磁共振设备的液氦采购，产生显著的氦气和成本节约。IUB核磁共振设施为160多名研究人员提供了最先进的仪器和专业知识，支持有机，有机金属，材料，碳水化合物，超分子，蛋白质，肽和药物化学的研究，同时还为本科生提供高分辨率核磁共振仪器。培养下一代化学家和生物化学家是IUB化学系的核心任务。本科生、研究生和博士后学员需要使用高分辨率核磁共振光谱仪来学习现代技术并完成他们的研究。这种氦气回收和液化系统将使IU Bloomington研究人员免受未来氦气供应短缺的影响，并确保核磁共振设施将继续成为可行的研究资源和大学教学任务的关键资产。可持续和负担得起的研究基础设施将大大提高IUB化学系招募多样化教师和学生的能力，以完成该系的研究和教学任务。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, Dr. Xinfeng Gao and Dr. Jonathan Karty at Indiana University are acquiring helium recovery and liquefaction equipment to recycle the helium used by eight spectrometers in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) facility at Indiana University – Bloomington (IUB). NMR is an essential method used by researchers to investigate the structure and motion of a wide range of molecules. Liquid helium is used to maintain superconductivity of magnets essential to NMR spectrometers. As helium slowly evaporates, periodic refills with liquid helium are needed. About 4,200 liters of liquid helium are annually used by the IUB NMR facility. Helium is a precious non-renewable natural resource critical to the aerospace, medical, and scientific research communities. Current supplies are not sufficient to meet all needs. IUB will build a system to capture helium gas as it evaporates from NMR magnets and then liquefy that helium for reuse. This helium recovery system will reduce the IUB NMR facility’s liquid helium purchases substantially, generating significant helium and cost savings. The IUB NMR facility provides access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise in solution NMR spectroscopy to more than 160 researchers, supporting research into organic, organometallic, materials, carbohydrate, supramolecular, protein, peptide, and medicinal chemistry while also providing high resolution NMR instrumentation for upper-division laboratory courses for undergraduates. Training the next generation of chemists and biochemists is a core mission of the IUB Chemistry Department. Undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral trainees need access to high resolution NMR spectrometers to learn modern techniques and complete their research. This helium recovery and liquefaction system will insulate IU Bloomington researchers from future helium supply shortages and ensures that the NMR facility will remain a viable research resource and a critical asset to the university's teaching mission. Sustainable and affordable research infrastructure significantly will enhance IUB Chemistry’s ability to recruit a diverse cohort of faculty and students for both the research and teaching missions of the department.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.