NMR Knowledge Base / Ezine
Street NMR: Testing times for "bath salts"
Date: Sep 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
A new NMR screening technique for testing samples of unlisted but illicit street drugs, often sold as "bath salts", can reveal components not normally detected by standard chromatographic methods, according to researchers speaking at the meeting of the American Chemical Society at the end of August.
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Supercapacitor: Conducting future energy storage
Date: Sep 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
A new generation of power supply materials with a high energy density is being keenly sought by the manufacturers of electric vehicles, notebook computers and other portable devices. A novel supercapacitor material studied with NMR and IR spectroscopy and other techniques could be suitable for replacing current rechargeable battery materials.
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Parasitic nutrition: NMR reveals new drug targets
Date: Aug 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
NMR spectroscopy has provided researchers with insights into how parasitic organisms exploit nutrients provided by the host organism. The work could open up a new approach to finding unique drug targets and in the present study, specifically against the tropical parasite Leishmania.
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Spliced: NMR reveals structural clue to transcription
Date: Aug 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Biomolecular NMR experts in Germany have discovered how the U2AF protein facilitates the process of splicing used by cells to make the correct template for RNA transcription and the subsequent expression of proteins.
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Coupling spectroscopy and chromatography: Microfluidic portability
Date: Jul 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
A US team has paired the remote-detection version of NMR spectroscopy with a chromatography technique used in microfluidic devices. The work opens the way to portable and highly sensitive multi-dimensional chemical analysis.
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A fully baked idea: Hydrogen storage
Date: Jul 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Many observers suggest that hydrogen produced from sustainable sources could lead us into a low-carbon economy that derives its energy from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels. NMR spectroscopy has played a part in experiments that demonstrate how so-called "baking soda" might help researchers cook up a safe way to store this hazardous gas.
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Molecular ascent or descent: NMR and XRD look at Penrose-type molecule
Date: Jun 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
The molecular equivalent of M.C. Escher's optical illusion of the perpetually climbing stair has been constructed by Japanese chemists and tracked with NMR spectroscopy.
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Magnet-free NMR: low-cost analysis on the horizon
Date: Jun 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
US researchers have demonstrated magnet-free nuclear magnetic resonance, opening up the possibility of low-cost, portable chemical analysis. Writing in the journal Nature Physics, the team says that it is just the beginning for the development of zero-field NMR although the team has already demonstrated that it is possible to get, clear, highly specific spectra.
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Romantic notes: microwaves, NMR and perfumed chemistry
Date: May 15, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Cassis base 345B, undecavertol, 1,3-oxathiane oxane, isospirene... Perfume can be so romantic! But the chemical components underpinning the often-enticing and seductive smells of fragrances are, one might say equal parts art and science. One of the most intriguing elements of several fragrances, including popular perfumes like Le monde est beau by Daniela Andrier and DKNY Be Delicious by Maurice Roucel is the fruity top note - blackcurrant.
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Nuclear, magnetic, but not NMR: depleted uranium for more memory
Date: May 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
A new uranium-containing compound maintains its magnetic behaviour at low temperatures. The discovery could take us a step closer to magnetic memory devices with capacities thousands of times denser than current high-end hard drives.
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