Improvement of Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum Through Updated NMR Capabilities

通过这个项目，化学系正在升级一台已有21年历史的30兆赫核磁共振光谱仪，该光谱仪已经无法操作，具有最先进的200兆赫FT-核磁共振能力。这种新仪器提供了执行重要的本科生研究项目的能力，同时足够简单，允许高年级(例如，二年级及以上)的学生常规地为教学实验室记录他们自己的光谱。学生开始接触这种仪器是从有机化学开始的，这是一门普通的二年级课程，在那里他们记录第一学期实验室课程中合成的产品的光谱。在第二学期的实验中，进行了基于项目的开放式实验。没有功能的核磁共振光谱仪，这类实验的整合是极其困难的。除了目前物理化学之外，所有的高级课程都在他们的实验室课程中加入了先进的核磁共振技术。最值得注意的是能够为新引入的光谱课程提供有意义的实验室组件。随着英国《金融时报》核磁共振光谱仪的出现，本科生的研究机会立即增加。由于需求增加，两名教职员工正在增加他们的研究活动。他们的项目需要核磁共振能力，范围从常规的1H到31P。该光谱仪既能满足当前的需求，也能满足可预见的未来需求。

Through this project, the Chemistry Department is upgrading a 21- year-old 30-Mhz NMR spectrometer, which had been inoperable, with state-of-the-art 200-MHz FT-NMR capabilities. This new instrument provides the ability to perform significant undergraduate research projects, while being simple enough to allow upper-division (e.g., sophomore-level and up) students to record their own spectra routinely for instructional laboratories. The exposure of students to this instrument begins in Organic Chemistry, the normal sophomore-level course, where they record the spectra for the products synthesized during the first-semester lab course. During the second-semester lab, open-ended project-based experiments are performed. Without a functional NMR spectrometer, the incorporation of this type of experiment is extremely difficult. The upper-division courses all, with the current exception of Physical Chemistry, incorporate advanced NMR techniques in their laboratory offerings. The most notable is the ability to offer a meaningful lab component to a newly introduced Spectroscopy class. Undergraduate research is enjoying an immediate elevation in opportunities with the presence of an FT NMR spectrometer. Two of the faculty on staff are increasing their activity in research as a result of increased demand. Their projects require NMR capabilities, ranging from routine 1H to 31P. The spectrometer meets both the current requirements, as well as the foreseeable future needs.