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

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has become one of the most useful techniques for characterizing solid materials at the molecular level.  Whereas many techniques are restricted to the types of solid materials that can be studied, solid-state NMR is the most versatile, and can be applied to study crystalline materials, glasses and disordered materials, composite materials, metal/semi-metal alloys, biomembranes, proteins, drugs, agricultural products, polymers, etc.  Characterizing such solid materials at the molecular level gives researchers insight into the rational design of new materials and the atomic origins of the bulk properties of materials; such understanding has and will continued to have enormous scientific, technological and economic impact.Magic-angle spinning (MAS) is one of the primary techniques utilized in solid-state NMR, whereby the sample rotor is spun rapidly about an axis oriented at 54.74 degrees from the superconducting magnetic field.  The effect of this rotation is two average the broad NMR interactions observed in solid-state NMR spectra, and to produce sharp, high signal-to-noise, high-resolution NMR spectra comparable to those observed for solutions.  Conventional NMR probes spin from 1 to 35 kHz, and are useful for a large number of different experiments and samples; however, there are limitations.We are proposing to purchase an ultra-fast magic-angle spinning (UFMAS) probe which can spin from 10 to 65 kHz.  This probe, which will be a unique configuration in Canada, will allow us to probe nuclei across the periodic table, and acquire ultra-high resolution NMR spectra of a variety of materials, including nanoparticles, pharmaceuticals, catalytic materials, liquid crystals and organic semi-conductors.  The 1.1 mm outside diameter sample rotors have a tiny sample volume of 1.2 uL, allowing us to work on very small sample sizes.  The tiny probe coil will produce enormous radiofrequency fields, allowing to acquiring high resolution spectra of 1H, 13C, 15N, 19F, 29Si, 31P, 35Cl, etc. nuclei in a myriad of solid samples.