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

在化学系的支持下，印第安纳州大学的高新风博士和乔纳森·卡蒂博士正在购买氦气回收和液化设备，以回收印第安纳州大学布卢明顿分校（IUB）核磁共振（NMR）设施中8台光谱仪使用的氦气。NMR是研究人员用来研究各种分子的结构和运动的基本方法。液氦用于维持核磁共振波谱仪所必需的磁体的超导性。由于氦慢慢蒸发，需要定期补充液氦。IUB NMR设施每年使用约4，200升液氦。氦是一种珍贵的不可再生自然资源，对航空航天、医学和科学研究界至关重要。 目前的供应不足以满足所有需求。IUB将建立一个系统来捕获氦气，因为它从NMR磁体蒸发，然后重新使用氦。该氦回收系统将大大减少IUB NMR设施的液氦采购，从而显著节省氦气和成本。IUB NMR设施为160多名研究人员提供了最先进的仪器和溶液NMR光谱学方面的专业知识，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，同时还为本科生的上层实验室课程提供高分辨率NMR仪器。培养下一代化学家和生物化学家是IUB化学系的核心使命。本科生、研究生和博士后学员需要使用高分辨率NMR光谱仪来学习现代技术并完成研究。 该氦回收和液化系统将使布卢明顿研究人员免受未来氦供应短缺的影响，并确保NMR设施将继续成为可行的研究资源和大学教学使命的关键资产。可持续和负担得起的研究基础设施将显着提高IUB化学的能力，招募教师和学生的部门的研究和教学任务的多样化队列。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

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.