AC-250 multinuclear FT-NMR using matching monies from an NSF-ILIP
grant which I co-authored with Dr. Lori L. Slavin (see Grants and
Presentations links).
My interests in NMR spectroscopy dates back to graduate school at Clemson University. There I was introduced to permanent magnetic systems (Varian A60) and fourier transform electromagnetic systems (JEOL FX-90Q). Although my masters thesis work utilized PMR for identification of organic compounds, my doctoral dissertation involved synthesizing four isomeric decalins (each with a tert-butyl group and methyl group), two of which preferred non-chair conformations (see Publications and Presentations links). The conformations of these species were identified by variable temperature CMR data and PMR coupling constants. I was hooked!
Upon my arrival at APSU in 1983 I was pleased that the chemistry department
had a functional Varian T-60 (permanent magnetic PMR system). In 1994
the Department purchased a Bruker
AC-250 multinuclear FT-NMR using matching monies from an NSF-ILIP
grant which I co-authored with Dr. Lori L. Slavin (see Grants and
Presentations links).
Purchase of the Bruker AC-250 has led to my attendance of four workshops (see Workshops link), all of which have been taught by Daniel Traficante (NMR Concepts, University of Rhode Island). These have included a three-day Bruker workshop in California, two ten-day NSF workshops at URI, and an eight-day electronics workshop in Warwick RI.
The electronics workshop has encouraged me to prepare several electronics procedures that can be utilized to test the electronics of the NMR spectrometer. These procedures were presented to the workshop attendees by Jim Simms and Mike McGregor. This workshop also lead me to research the appropriate test equipment necessary to perform these electronic procedures, including oscilloscopes, signal generators, attenuators, and the Bruker breakout box and VSWR bridge.
As the departmental NMR lab manager I am in charge of the liquid nitrogen and liquid helium fills (both of which we do ourselves). To record these data I have developed a liquid nitrogen fill log book. I have also begun running pulse width, resolution, sensitivity, and lineshape tests on our NMR to produce data for comparison to those obtained by the Bruker engineers when our instrument was first placed in operation. These data are being recorded in a standard NMR test log book.
Liquid Nitrogen Fill Procedure