The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy allows to outline the chemical structure of a molecule, to draw the bonds and arrange the atoms that compose it. This, together with other techniques, is the basis for structural characterization of organic and inorganic molecules and is the principal analysis tool for the chemicals. IENI-CNR lab hosts a high-performance digital spectrometer Bruker Avance III 300 MHz, configured for the analysis of liquids (probe head for liquids) and solids (probe head for solids).
The use is oriented in the following areas:
determination of the molecular structure of various compounds in the field of i) organic, organometallic and inorganic synthetic chemistry, ii) chemistry of materials and natural products.
study of dynamic processes i) reaction kinetics, ii) study of equilibrium (chemical or structural).
Typically, the analyzed samples are solutions at millimolar concentrations in suitable deuterated solvents (liquid probe) or powders as is, to fill a 4mm diameter rotor (solid state probe). 1D and 2D acquisition techniques are commonly used with direct or inverse observation of the nuclei involved (typically ¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P, ¹¹B, ¹⁹Ag, ²³Na, ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al etc). The expertise currently available in the field of materials include: the study of raw materials and products in geopolymerization processes; the study of natural clays; the study of high performance cements; the analysis of polymers and composite materials. In the field of synthetic chemistry include: identification of synthesized organic and complexes molecules (with transition metals or not); identification and validation of unknowns; determination qualitative and quantitative of impurities in pharmaceutical preparations; determination of 'fingerprint' in complex mixtures of extracts of natural products.