MRI: Acquisition of High-Field NMR Instrumentation for the Colorado School of Mines with Outreach to the Denver Metro Region

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(Public Law 111-5)获得的。在重大研究仪器(MRI)计划的资助下，科罗拉多矿业学院(CSM)的Daniel M.KNauss及其同事Stephen G.Boyes、Steven F.Dec、Andrew M.Herring和Carolyn A.Koh将获得一台用于液体的500 MHz核磁共振光谱仪、一个脉冲场扩散探头和一个新控制台，以升级用于固体的400 MHz光谱仪。这套仪器将支持针对可再生/替代能源和材料的研究，如1)氢燃料电池，2)有机化合物和聚合物的合成和表征，3)气体水合物的研究，4)用于电子设备的聚合物修饰纳米结构，5)膜中化学传输的机械途径，以及6)由生物成分制备塑料。据指出，该仪器将提供给化学和化学工程的教职员工，并将与丹佛市地区的高等教育机构和国家实验室进行合作研究和教育项目，包括科罗拉多大学丹佛分校、红岩社区学院、丹佛市州立学院和国家可再生能源实验室。核磁共振波谱是化学家可以用来阐明分子结构的最强大的工具之一。它被用来识别未知物质，表征分子内原子的特定排列，并研究溶液和固体中分子之间相互作用的动力学。对于正在进行前沿研究的化学家来说，获得最先进的核磁共振光谱仪是必不可少的。这些核磁共振研究的结果将对化学、材料研究和可再生/替代能源产生影响。这些仪器将是教学和研究不可或缺的一部分。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Daniel M. Knauss and colleagues Stephen G. Boyes, Steven F. Dec, Andrew M. Herring and Carolyn A. Koh from the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) will acquire a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer for use with liquids, a pulsed-field diffusion probe and a new console to upgrade a 400 MHz spectrometer for solids. The suite of instruments will support research targeted towards renewable/alternative energy and materials such as 1) hydrogen fuel cells, 2) synthesis and characterization of organic compounds and polymers, 3) studies of gas hydrates, 4) polymer modified nanostructures to use in electronic devices, 5) mechanistic pathways of chemical transport in membranes, and 6) preparation of plastics from bio-components. It is noted that the instrumentation will be available to faculty members in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and that there will be collaborative research and educational projects with higher educational institutions and national laboratories in the Denver Metro Region, including the University of Colorado at Denver, Red Rocks Community College, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the most powerful tools available to chemists for the elucidation of the structure of molecules. It is used to identify unknown substances, to characterize specific arrangements of atoms within molecules, and to study the dynamics of interactions between molecules in solutions and in solids. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The results from these NMR studies will have an impact in chemistry, materials research and renewable/alternative energy. These instruments will be an integral part of teaching as well as research.