CRIF:MU/RUI: Acquisition of a 500-MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer at Boise State University

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Boise State University will acquire a 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer with this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Multi User (CRIF:MU) program. The instrument will be employed in several biochemistry and materials related projects requiring high field NMR including: 1) elucidation of the three-dimensional (3D) solution structures of Cone snail peptides (conotoxins) via 2-D NMR, 2) synthesis and characterization the DNA binding properties of aziridinomitosenes, 3) synthesis and characterization of polymers responsive to changes in temperature, light levels, pH or pressure, 4) modeling of the mononuclear zinc enzyme human carbonic anhydrase, 5) identification and characterization of chalcogenide materials for use in non-volatile memory devices, and 6) liquid and solid state NMR characterization of silicon-boron-nitrogen-carbon materials.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most powerful tool 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. 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 synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry and materials chemistry.