NSF Award
1531043
With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Western New England University will acquire a 400 MHz NMR spectrometer. The instrument will be housed at WNEU and shared for research and teaching with the Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield (CCGS) consortium. The CCGS consortium is comprised of eight member institutions within a 10-mile radius: American International College, Bay Path College, Elms College, Holyoke Community College, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, Western New England University, and Westfield State University. The instrument will be used in undergraduate research projects in areas of organic, inorganic and environmental chemistry. In general, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the most powerful tools 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. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research performed by undergraduate students in the consortium institutions. <br/><br/>The proposal is aimed at enhancing research especially in areas such as (a) investigating phenyl epoxyenones as potential activity-based probe templates for protein kinases (Springfield College); (b) synthesizing and developing hyperbranched star polymers for use as bone substitutes (WNE); (c) broadening the scope of Montmorillonite K10 clay (WNE) ; (d) studying dynamic kinetic resolution of substituted keto esters and ketoamides via biocatalytic reduction (Springfield Tech Community College); (e) synthesizing and developing small molecule sensors for the detection of organophosphate pesticides in water and soil (WNE); (f) synthesizing and investigating the thermal stability of cubane derivatives (WNE); (g) synthesizing and investigating polyelectrolytes (WNE); and (h) determining secondary deuterium isotope effect on the equilibrium constant for the iodination of alkanes (Elms College).
