MRI: track 1 acquisition of a 600 MHZ NMR console and a helium recovery system for shared use in research and teaching

Oberlin College received $915,365 in Project Grant funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to acquire a 600 megahertz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer console and helium recovery system. The award, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028, will provide shared research and teaching instrumentation for six faculty members and their undergraduate researchers in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The 600 MHz NMR console delivers enhanced sensitivity and throughput with combined liquids and solids capability, enabling expanded experimental capabilities for molecular structure analysis that were previously unavailable on a single instrument.

The instrumentation will directly support faculty-student research teams investigating chemical biology, materials science, organic chemistry, NMR crystallography, and atmospheric chemistry—including applied projects such as lead detection in drinking water, understanding drug action and protein function, and catalyst design. Additionally, the helium recovery system addresses national resource conservation efforts by reducing helium consumption during instrument operation. The state-of-the-art equipment will be integrated into undergraduate courses serving chemistry, biochemistry, and biology majors and pre-medical students, thereby strengthening workforce development and preparation of the next generation of scientific leaders through mentored research experiences and enhanced laboratory instruction.

Abstract

This award is funded by the major research instrumentation program and the chemistry research instrumentation programs to acquire a console for a 600 MHZ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer to enhance the research of six faculty and the training of undergraduate researchers in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at oberlin college. NMR is a powerful technique for studying molecular structure, and the instrument will expand the range of experiments faculty and students can perform on liquid and solid samples. IT will also provide more precise measurements, and through the use of an automated sample changer, increase research productivity. The research areas of the faculty include chemical biology, materials science, organic chemistry, and NMR crystallography, and atmospheric chemistry. Faculty-student research using the new instrument will contribute to knowledge in such areas as detection of lead in drinking water, understanding of drug action and protein function, and design of catalysts. Access to up-to-date instrumentation is essential to workforce training and preparing the next generation of scientific leaders. The state-of-the-art instrument will be used in mentored student research and in courses that serve chemistry, biochemistry, and biology majors and pre-medical students. A helium recovery system will aid in the national effort to conserve helium, a limited resource that is necessary for the operation of the NMR instrument. The new 600 MHZ console has enhanced sensitivity and throughput, and its combined liquids and solids capability, uncommon in one NMR instrument, and will expand the range of research possible. Research projects by the 6 faculty-student teams include the use of NMR crystallography to study the kinetics of CO-crystal formation, elucidate atmospheric secondary organic aerosol reaction mechanisms, map drivers of selectivity in synthetically important transformations, explore melanin-inspired materials, characterize small-molecule probes to study transmembrane proteases, and investigate hybrid inorganic-organic materials. In liquids mode, multiple nuclei are investigated; and in solids mode, magic angle spinning spectra of multiple nuclei are collected. Triple-channel and pulse programming capabilities of the console allow researchers to perform experiments not possible with the older console. Thanks to advances in instrument integration, the automated sample changer accessory can support the liquids probe and the solids probe, allowing efficient instrument use in both modes. The closed-loop helium system, dedicated to the 600 MHZ NMR magnet, can capture the helium boiloff, liquefy the gas, and return IT to the cryostat in continuous fashion and is designed for nearly 100% recovery. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.