Solid-state NMR Research Service for UK Universities

Lead Research Organisation: Durham University
Department Name: Chemistry

Abstract

Solid-state NMR is an important technique for characterising and studying solid materials whether they are homogeneous or heterogeneous, crystalline or amorphous. It can be applied across a wide-range of chemistry including novel organic, inorganic, organometallic and hybrid compounds, polymers (both natural and synthetic), fuels, pharmaceutical and excipients, composites, ceramics, catalysts, liquid crystals and biologically-based systems. This proposal is for a solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) research service. The service will be available to members of the UK academic community and will based around a new state-of-the-art 400 MHz spectrometer. It will build upon the well-established and highly-experienced service currently running at Durham. The service will offer experiment planning and interpretation, in addition to providing high-quality spectra. It will promote the application of solid-state NMR to chemical problems and will act as a centre for practical training in solid-state NMR methodology. The EPSRC service will run in parallel to a commercial service supporting the research and development needs of industry. The case for support describes how the service will be structured, how it will operate and how much instrument time will be available to its users. It is proposed that the Service will operate for a period of five years to permit a major equipment upgrade to be carried out and its impact evaluated.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The Solid-State NMR service provided NMR spectra and interpretation services for users without ready access to this important, but relatively expensive, analytical technique for analysing solid materials. This work fed into a large number of papers (74 listed here) over the period. Aided by the baseline EPSRC funding, the Service ran a busy commercial operation over the funding period, supplying services to 10-15 companies per year in, for example, the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, agrichemical, polymer and defence industries.
Exploitation Route This is best addressed by individual users of the Service. We have indicated below the areas in which the Service had a significant impact.
Sectors Agriculture

Food and Drink

Chemicals

Healthcare

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology

Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology

 
Description EPSRC
Amount £668,649 (GBP)
Funding ID Contract 01SSN01112011 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2011 
End 10/2016