MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a 400 MHz NMR Spectrometer to Advance Research and Education at Multiple Undergraduate-Serving Institutions in Tacoma, Washington

This award is jointly supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation programs. The University of Puget Sound is acquiring a 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer equipped with a broadband probe to support the research of Professor Eric Scharrer along with colleagues Emily Tollefson, Oscar Sosa, Luc Boisvert, and that of Professor Kelly Kim at the University of Washington - Tacoma (UWT). This NMR spectrometer facilitates research in a variety of fields, such as materials science, medicinal chemistry, catalysis, aquatic environmental science, and organic, inorganic, and organometallic synthesis. In general, 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 solution or in the solid state. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. In addition to enhancing the training of undergraduate researchers working with these faculty members, the instrument is used extensively as part of a wide range of teaching and laboratory courses in both chemistry and biology at Puget Sound, UWT, and Tacoma Community College (TCC). The instrument is also available to the greater Tacoma scientific community. The award of the NMR spectrometer is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels. Research enabled by the instrument is focused on the study, preparation, and characterization of new liquid crystalline compounds and organo- and metallo-gelators. It allows the study and structural characterization of bismuth nanoparticles, and of medicinally and biologically relevant compounds. It enables the study and development of new catalytic systems for more sustainable synthesis and helps in understanding the sources and fates of phosphonates in aquatic environments. In response to global helium supply challenges, the acquisition of this instrument includes a superconducting magnet with a low loss cryostat reducing the institution’s consumption of helium. 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.