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400 MHz Neo Prodigy Spectrometer - 'Tobermory' - Room B25

This spectrometer is available for a mix of walk-up open-access and specialist users.  Everyone will need training before using this instrument. Please see the NMR Facility team for details of training.

For open-access a limited range of experiments will be available.  These will correspond to the overnight 1H, 13C, DEPT (PCD)  and FULL SUITE (1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, HSQC, HMBC) experiments on the other walk-up instruments but will give rather better results and this queue will run all the time. We will have a longer 31P experiment for dilute samples, a 1H coupled 19F and may also add other multinuclear experiments that exploit the capabilities of the new spectrometer. Having the queue for longer experiments running all the time means this is not going to be a good place to run very quick 1H spectra during peak hours. Data from the new machine might not be processed by old software versions, however Topspin 4.x is free for academic use and we have details of how you can get it on the NMR Facility home page.

Tobermory has some unique capabilities and so won’t be in walk-up mode all the time.  We will keep researchers informed when the instrument is switched out of open-access mode.  Tobermory is our only spectrometer that can run 19F-13C correlation experiments and will probably be our most sensitive option for 7Li, 11B, 31P and other odd nuclei.

We are happy to run samples via the NMR Service route for Tobermory if you require them, and anyone wishing to use the spectrometer in manual mode for a specific project should talk to us about their needs.

All the data is archived and backed up on the Analytical file-server storage system. Please go to the NMR Data page for full details of how to access your spectra.

When submitting samples to the instrument would all users please stick to the following convention:

Group Code followed by crsid then  /, followed by your personal identifying code. For example MJG-ABC32/ABC10_Fr2 or ER-SB123/SIMON-11-1a

By following these rules it makes things much easier when preparing the usage lists at the end of each month.

Please remember to collect your tubes promptly after they have been run.  Tubes left in the room are cleared every Tuesday morning around 8:30am and can be found in the labelled beaker in the cold room lobby (CRL).  If they subsequently remain uncollected from the CRL for a few weeks then they are likely to be washed up or offered free of charge to other researchers on a first-come first-served basis.

If you have questions or need more information, as always, just visit us in the NMR Facility room, B28.

This spectrometer represents the latest evolution of the Bruker hardware, probe technology and software with a Avance Neo Console, Prodigy Nitrogen cooled probe and TopSpin 4.x NMR package. The pictures and descriptions below explain how the new spectrometer differs from both our room temperature instruments and our Helium Cryoprobe spectrometers.

The new Avance Neo console represents the next generation along the Avance series product line. Each NMR channel has both transmit and receive capabilities - the so called 'transceive' principle - meaning that each channel behaves like its own independent spectrometer with RF generation, transmit and receive infrastructure. This architecture gives flexibility in terms of configuration and multi-channel operation of the instrument, meaning multi-receive experiments are now possible. The spectrometer now stands alone from the client PC due to the Neo's embedded acquisition server and client-server software architecture using TopSpin 4 and higher. In theory, the spectrometer could be controlled using any OS and from any location via the cloud....!

Our new client PC retains the familiar Windows 10 OS, and now features a large curved screen monitor to improve the viewing experience when dealing with multiple windows as required when performing certain tasks. No additional software apps required to join two monitors to one PC and mouse!!

The new Prodigy BBO Cryoprobe gives us a major step forward in sensitivity without the financial outlay of the conventional Helium Cryoplatform, Cryoprobe and associated hardware. There are longer service intervals and very low operating costs. Sensitivity gains are in the order of a factor of 2 - 3 on X-nuclei from 15N to 31P, and just over 2 on the 1H/19F channel. The entire Prodigy package comprises just the probe, control unit and the weight measured liquid nitrogen vessel - this means that you do not need a large area to site it and no extra infrastructure needs providing.  We have paired our probe with the ATMA automatic tuning module for more versatility in operation.

The control unit for the Prodigy system is the Cryoplatform shown above. All the functions and status reports for the Cryoprobe are available on the display, but this can all be controlled more comfortably from the PC. Compared with even the most modern conventional Cryoplatform, this is certainly a lot smaller.

Sitting on top of the BCU Chiller Unit is this weight readout module which reports the weight of the liquid nitrogen inside the vessel shown in the first picture. At about 80kg the vessel is at 100% volume, thus giving the NMR Service team a clear picture of when it needs refilling. In practice the fill of the vessel takes place once a week, following a strict procedure to avoid any disruption to ongoing experiments. The Cryoprobe remains unaffected by this refill procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final picture shows the side of the system that most users will be familiar with. The original 400MHz magnet that served Lagavulin well, is now paired up with the fastest sample changer that Bruker can offer - the SampleJet. Kindly purchased by Professor Matt Gaunt we can do standard walk-up open-shop NMRKiosk submission as well as high-throughput NMR using 96 wellplate format racks of 4" tubes at either 4 or 5mm diameter. We are initially offering selected researchers use of Tobermory and the SampleJet as there are strict requirements for tube length, quality and tube cap. If you would like to be trained in the use of the SampleJet, please contact the NMR Facility team on the usual address.