Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

A new probehead is required for the 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer to replace the original failing model. The NMR spectrometer is the main analytical tool of synthetic organic and organo-metallic chemists as it is used for determination of both molecular composition and structure. The probe is the central part of the NMR instrument. The NMR console was recently upgraded, while the probehead and magnet are still the original 14 year old models. Each time the probehead requires repair, several weeks of department-wide research can be lost. A new probehead would replace the current aging model and more importantly add additional capabilities to ensure that the system can be continuously collecting data. The current probehead was designed to carry out a variety of experiments in sequence but only involving two types of NMR observable nuclei at any given time. As many of the chemicals synthesized in the applicants' laboratories often contain 3 or more NMR active nuclei (eg. 1H, 13C, 15N, 29Si), better use of the instrument could be made by a probehead designed to automatically observe any or all of these nuclei in a sequential manner. Recent advances in probehead design allows for computer programming to automatically adjust to a nucleus without frequent operator intervention. This enables a series of experiments on a series of nuclei to be queued for data acquisition overnight or weekend periods on any given sample. Long term acquisition on a single sample would produce a thorough collection of data for not only the commonly observed 1H and 13C based experiments, but also other atoms such as 15N, 29Si or 195Pt.In an academic institution, the chemicals analyzed by NMR spectroscopy are diverse in composition with a multitude of potential uses with potential benefit to both Canada and the world. Chemicals to be used in the design of new fuel sources are analysed by NMR. York University only has one departmental NMR dedicated to research and the reliability and additional flexibility from a new NMR probehead would increase the workload of the instrument and reduce the immediate need for another routine NMR spectrometer.