EPSRC Capital Award for Core Equipment: Transformative Upgrade of NMR Facilities
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Chemistry
Abstract
The main objective of this proposal is to dramatically enhance the capabilities and throughput of the NMR facilities within the School of Physical Sciences/University of Liverpool that underpins our world leading research activities within the remit of EPSRC, including those in the field of Design of New Materials, Energy and Catalysis, as well as in a number of Healthcare chemistry projects.
Upon this transformative upgrade, Materials research in the UoL will benefit in several ways from the increased sensitivity provided by the liquid nitrogen cooled, broadband Prodigy CryoProbe that will allow high quality spectra of the insensitive nuclei required for the characterization of precursors and functional molecules and spectra of poorly soluble materials to be obtained. High throughput materials discovery requires rapid, high throughput analysis of products which will be enabled by the improved turnaround times and efficiency afforded by the SampleCase Plus automation system.
In the field of Energy and Catalysis, much of this research requires NMR studies of only moderately sensitive or insensitive heteronuclei and variable temperature capabilities which will be enabled by the liquid nitrogen cooled broadband Prodigy CryoProbe. UoL research in Biotechnology and Healthcare rely strongly on multidimensional highly resolved NMR experiments of compounds available only in small amount, i.e. in detection of unstable reaction intermediates and metabolites, and these experiments, that are extremely time-consuming or impractical on our ambient temperature probes, will be enabled by the broadband Prodigy CryoProbe upon this transformative upgrade.
Upon this transformative upgrade, Materials research in the UoL will benefit in several ways from the increased sensitivity provided by the liquid nitrogen cooled, broadband Prodigy CryoProbe that will allow high quality spectra of the insensitive nuclei required for the characterization of precursors and functional molecules and spectra of poorly soluble materials to be obtained. High throughput materials discovery requires rapid, high throughput analysis of products which will be enabled by the improved turnaround times and efficiency afforded by the SampleCase Plus automation system.
In the field of Energy and Catalysis, much of this research requires NMR studies of only moderately sensitive or insensitive heteronuclei and variable temperature capabilities which will be enabled by the liquid nitrogen cooled broadband Prodigy CryoProbe. UoL research in Biotechnology and Healthcare rely strongly on multidimensional highly resolved NMR experiments of compounds available only in small amount, i.e. in detection of unstable reaction intermediates and metabolites, and these experiments, that are extremely time-consuming or impractical on our ambient temperature probes, will be enabled by the broadband Prodigy CryoProbe upon this transformative upgrade.
Planned Impact
The proposed upgrade of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facilities in School of Physical Sciences that underpins a wide range of research programs that have an impact across many different sectors related to Design of Advanced Materials, Energy and Catalysis, Biotechnology and Healthcare science will be transformative. It will impact on, and reinforce existing and enable new academic research and pathways to impact, including engagement with the industrial sectors, training of future generations of scientists and dissemination to the scientific communities.
The anticipated impact of the proposed investment
The requested instrumentation will underpin, enhance and extend a large number of scientific programs in the School of Physical Sciences, our industrial partners and more widely at UoL that have potential academic, industrial and societal impact. Delivery of this impact will be facilitated by the active involvement of the University's several Business Support organizations. Anticipated Institutional impacts and outputs include:
(1) Reinforcing the position of the UoL and School of Physical Sciences as a World Class research institution and community;
(2) Strengthening the leading role of the School of Physical Sciences and ability to undertake cutting-edge research in the fields of Design of Advanced Materials, Energy and Catalysis, Infectious Disease and Personalised Health, which will further enhance the reputation of research across the whole University.
(3) Generating new impact cases and publications in high impact peer-reviewed journals, presentations at local, national and international conferences enabled by using state-of-the-art and fit-for-purpose NMR equipment.
(4) Generating and protecting relevant IP. They will be broadly disseminated across academia, industry and society, building on our record of high impact publication and industrial engagement, working with University of Liverpool: Research, Partnerships and Innovation and the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry.
(5) Discovery and investment into the new research fields within the remit of the EPSRC enabled by the availability of state-of-the-art and fit-for-purpose NMR equipment
(6) The training of new early career researchers including the PhD students and PDRAs in a multidisciplinary environment with international collaborators and cross-sector industry partners, working on the portfolio of EPSRC supported research at the University of Liverpool, thus building the next generation of UK researchers across a wide spectrum of scientific and technological fields.
The anticipated impact of the proposed investment
The requested instrumentation will underpin, enhance and extend a large number of scientific programs in the School of Physical Sciences, our industrial partners and more widely at UoL that have potential academic, industrial and societal impact. Delivery of this impact will be facilitated by the active involvement of the University's several Business Support organizations. Anticipated Institutional impacts and outputs include:
(1) Reinforcing the position of the UoL and School of Physical Sciences as a World Class research institution and community;
(2) Strengthening the leading role of the School of Physical Sciences and ability to undertake cutting-edge research in the fields of Design of Advanced Materials, Energy and Catalysis, Infectious Disease and Personalised Health, which will further enhance the reputation of research across the whole University.
(3) Generating new impact cases and publications in high impact peer-reviewed journals, presentations at local, national and international conferences enabled by using state-of-the-art and fit-for-purpose NMR equipment.
(4) Generating and protecting relevant IP. They will be broadly disseminated across academia, industry and society, building on our record of high impact publication and industrial engagement, working with University of Liverpool: Research, Partnerships and Innovation and the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry.
(5) Discovery and investment into the new research fields within the remit of the EPSRC enabled by the availability of state-of-the-art and fit-for-purpose NMR equipment
(6) The training of new early career researchers including the PhD students and PDRAs in a multidisciplinary environment with international collaborators and cross-sector industry partners, working on the portfolio of EPSRC supported research at the University of Liverpool, thus building the next generation of UK researchers across a wide spectrum of scientific and technological fields.