Stewart Thompson - US grants

This award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program and the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (OMA) will assist the Department of Chemistry at University of California @ Riverside to upgrade a 300 MHz and a 500 MHz NMR Spectrometer. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including the following: (1) total synthesis of natural products, (2) NMR characterization of pollutant transport through porous media, (3) structure-function played by H-bonded protons with large H-chemical shifts in the insulin hexamer, (4) conformation analysis and the relationship to biological activity, (5) stereochemistry of side chain crosslinking in peptides and proteins, and (6) synthesis, structural and biological studies of biomedically significant natural products. 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, 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 spectrometry is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The results from these NMR studies are useful in the areas such as polymers, catalysis, and in biology.

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the University of California in Riverside will acquire a 400 MHz NMR Spectrometer. This equipment will enable researchers to carry out studies on a) the synthesis, isolation and structure determination of biologically active molecules; b) synthesis and identification of chemicals used for intra- and interspecific communication, c) regulation of intermediary metabolism in invertebrate animals, especially insects; d) identification of the products of the atmospherically important reactions of anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds; and e) the investigation of the gas-phase atmospheric reactions of polycyclic aromatic compounds.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most powerful tool available 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 spectrometry is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The results from these NMR studies will have an impact in a number of areas including biochemistry and environmental chemistry.