Departmental Users

Training Information

Solution NMR

Solution NMR training sessions will be provided when there are sufficient numbers of students, usually 2 or 3. Training on the Varian Mercury 300, Mercury 400 with sample changers are usually held the week a training authorization form has been submitted. Written authorization is required for training.

There are NMR training courses online in the NMR @ Chemistry organization in Blackboard. After registering for training, send your UtorID to tburrow@chem.utoronto.ca to be added to the organization. Log into http://portal.utoronto.ca to access this training material. After completing the online training (movies and handouts), take the NMR Quiz.

Hands-on training on the spectrometers follows follows passing the NMR quiz. The hands-on training consists of training for the Varian and Bruker sample changers and the Varian VnmrS-400. During the training, users will run, process and interpret 2D spectra such as the Gcosy andGhsqc. Selective experiments, like 1D selective ROESY or TOCSY are also done.

If you want to be trained, please fill in a training form, visit the Liquids NMR Online Sign-up page.

Sign-up Rules

All users of the spectrometers must be checked out by the NMR staff, not a graduate student. Users lending out their passwords will have their accounts revoked.

Varian Mercury 200 and Varian VnmrS-400 Spectrometers

Use the NMR Booking form to reserve time on these spectrometers. The time limits are in the Booking system and enforced when the booking is made. To see what the limits are, use the link to "Spectrometer Information" in the NMR Booking site.

Mercury 400 and 300 with SMS sample changer

Both the Mercury 300 and 400 NMR spectrometers have 100-sample changers and time cannot be reserved. Samples are run in first-in first-out queues with a day queue and a night queue.

Departmental Bruker AvanceIII-400

The Bruker AvanceIII-400 spectrmeter has a 60-sample changer and time cannot be reserved. Samples are run in first-in first-out queues with a day queue and a night queue.

Unity 500

The Unity 500 NMR spectrometer is to be used for longer or more involved experiments. Since the staff and Prof. Reynolds normally use the Unity 500 spectrometer, several days in the week and the weekends may be booked in advance. users may book the Unity 500 using the NMR Booking form, but please be aware that your reservation may be moved if time is need for other experiments.

Changing or Tuning Probes

Users are not allowed to tune or change the probes without prior approval and training.

Those doing so will have their accounts revoked.

While we are more than happy to tune or change probes, please ask the staff in advance and book your time no later than 4:30 PM. Also remember to book time to change the probe back.

Our extensive collection of broadband probes allows us to observe spectra for many nuclei. Often standards and parameters are available for different nuclei on the various machines. If you are interested in other nuclei, please ask the NMR staff. If you need to observe a nucleus that we have not run before, we ask that you bring a standard sample in a sealed 5-mm NMR tube.

If you want to be trained on tuning the probes, please have a letter of authorization from your Professor forwarded to Tim Burrow.

List of Trained Users

A list of users trained on the Unity machines is online, available on the NMR Booking schedule, after logging in.

Users revealing their passwords or letting untrained users use their accounts will have their accounts suspended.

Charges

Charges are based upon the time logged on the spectrometer. The charge is $8 per hour between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Friday except holidays. During all other times, the charge is $4 per hour. These are internal Departmental charges only.

Leaving Samples for Staff to Run

Solution Samples

We highly suggest that most 2D experiments are capable of being run by all users. The Varian 400 is very capable and easy to use to acquire 2D spectra. The Unity 500 (usually with a 3-mm indirect probe) is the best choice for sample-limited applications

Please submit samples to LM14. All samples should be submitted in good quality NMR tubes, Norell 507-HP or Wilmad 528PP or equivalent. The solvent length should be at least 4 cm and free from undissolved impurities.

Samples may be submitted anytime; please fill out a service form and leave it in LM14. Click here to download an electronic version of the service form. Users outside the Department of Chemistry, but affiliated with the University of Toronto, click here to to get the external submission form. Users not affiliated with the University of Toronto, please contact the NMR staff. (Electronic forms require Acrobat reader software for Mac/PC/UNIX.)

If you submit a sample, label your tube with your sample number.

Samples without forms will not be run. Please fill in all the fields marked as required so that we can optimize the data acquisition, saving spectrometer time and get the best spectrum.

Please email Tim Burrow with any comments