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Facilities

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State-of-the-art
FACILITIES AND INSTRUMENTATION

The School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering has seen substantial strategic investment in building new state-of-the-art research laboratories for synthetic chemistry and catalysis research, with accommodation for over 50 researchers.

An on-going £4 million investment in research and teaching laboratory space (scheduled for completion in 2023) will significantly modernise and further extend our facilities, with recently added open-access equipment including an environmental SEM facility, powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction equipment, a high-end confocal Raman microscope, and 400 & 600 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers.

Further open-access Departmental facilities include three additional NMR spectrometers, three mass spectrometers, and additional  powder XRD, ICP-OES, BET and Hg porosimetry equipment, a CD spectrometer and a HPLC/GC chromatography, as well as standard spectrometer and computational facilities. Further information in relation to a selection of the equipment which is available to research staff within the School is available on this page.

An in-house team provides analytical services to internal and external stakeholders using their dedicated instrument suite. 15 technicians provide support for microanalysis, glass-blowing, mechanical engineering, electronics, computer management and laboratory safety.

OUR KEY FACILITIES

 

Below, you'll find out more about our key facilities, equipment, and instrumentation, which is leveraged to carry our our leading research in the chemical sciences.

Technique

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Instrument

FEI Quanta FEG  -  Environmental SEM
Oxford Ex-ACT

Location

OB.410

Contact

Prof S. Bell (ext 4470)
Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)

Capabilities FEI Quanta FEG - Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope. Capable of running in High and Low Vacuum as well as an environmental mode it has ETD and  BSED fitted as standard. Spluttering facilities are provided enabling Carbon and Gold Splutter coating. The SEM can also be fitted with a heated stage and has the capability of undertaking STEM.
Access Bookable online after suitable training, available through ASEP.

 


 

Technique X-ray powder diffraction (XRD)

Instrument Panalytical
Location OB.410
Contact Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)

Capabilities

Standard run angle – 5 – 85 degrees. Lower angles possible. Variable step size and time on step. Variable voltage.

Access

Bookable online after suitable training, available through ASEP.

 


 

Technique

Electron Impact Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometer (EI-TOF)

Instrument

Waters
GTC Premier

Location

LG.007

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)

Capabilities Standard Electron Impact Time Of Flight system – typical mass range 50-1000 amu. Fitted with a probe injection system.
Access This facility is offered as a service via ASEP.

 


 

Technique

Brunauer–Emmett–Teller  (BET)

‌

Instrument

Micromeritics Tristar 3020

Location

LG.007

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)

Capabilities An automated gas adsorption analyser, surface areas as low as 0.01 m2/g can be measured. Typically using nitrogen as the adsorption gas. Separate pre analysis prep system.
Access

This facility is offered as a service via ASEP.

 


 

Technique

Circular Dichroism (CD)

‌

Instrument

Jasco J-815

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard instrument set up including -10 to 100 oC peltier variable temperature cooler. Also has a 90o fluorescence detector.
Access

Open access via ASEP – training required before use.

 


 

Technique

Electrospray Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry  (ESI-MS)

‌

Instrument

Waters LCT Premier

Location

LG.007

Contact

Conor McGrann (ext 4676)
Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard electrospray Time Of Flight system typical mass range 50 – 1750 amu. Fitted with Nanomate sample introduction.
Access

This facility is offered as a service via ASEP.

 


Technique

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

‌

Instrument

Bruker 300MHz (x2)

Location

0G.413

Contact

Richard Murphy (ext 4435)
Conor McGrann (ext 4676)
Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard 300MHz NMR with options for 1H, 13C, 19F & 31P
Access

Open access via NMR technicians – training required before use.

 


 

Technique

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

‌

Instrument

Bruker 400MHz (x2)

Location

0G.414

Contact

Richard Murphy (ext 4435)
Conor McGrann (ext 4676)
Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard 400MHz NMR – Variable temperature option. Automated tune and match multi nuclei probe.
Access

Bookable via NMR technicians – training required before use.

 


 

Technique

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

‌‌

Instrument

Bruker 600MHz

Location

0G.414

Contact

Richard Murphy (ext 4435)
Conor McGrann (ext 4676)
Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard 600MHz instrument. Variable temperature. Multi-nuclei probe.
Access

Operated as a service instrument via NMR technicians.

 


 

Technique

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)

‌‌

Instrument

Perkin Elmer Analyst 100

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard Atomic Adsorption system capable of Na, K, Ca, Mg analysis by emission. Al, Ca, Mg, Pb lamps available for analysis by adsorption.
Access

Usually offered as a service, but users may be trained if they have a large number of analysis to undertake.

 


 

Technique

Elemental Analysis (CHNS)

‌

Instrument

Perkin Elmer PE2400CHNS

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Designed primarily to analyse samples capable of combustion @ 975oC using ~2mg sample the instrument may be used in either CHN or CHNS modes. Options include the ability to control the amount of O2 added before and after sample drop, and during the dynamic combustion phase. The static combustion times are also variable. Although designed primarily for solid samples, liquids may be accommodated through the use of sealable combustion capsules.
Access

This facility is offered as a service via ASEP.

 


 

Technique

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

‌‌

Instrument

Mettler Toledo DSC 1 Star system

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard system with autosampler.
Access

Offered as a service through ASEP. Possible to be trained to run multiple samples – you will be required to provide your own sample pans.

 


 

Technique

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)

‌‌‌

Instrument

Mettler Toledo DSC / TGA 1 Star

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities

Standard system with autosampler.

Access

Offered as a service through ASEP. Possible to be trained to run multiple samples – you will be required to provide your own sample pans.

 


 

Technique

Fourier Transform Infra red (FTIR)

‌‌‌

Instrument

Perkin Elmer Spectrum 1 & Spectrum 2

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Spectrum 1: CsI beam splitter - 4000 – 200 cm-1
Spectrum 2: KBr beam splitter - 4000 – 400 cm-1
Std KBr disks – Disk press available – Liquid film option available.
Access

Open access via ASEP.

 


 

Technique

Ultra Violet Visible Spectrometer
(UV-Vis)

‌‌‌

Instrument

Perkin Elmer Lambda 800, Lambda 25 and Lambda 3B

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Lambda 800 and lambda 25 – scanning instruments - 800 – 200 nm
Lambda 3B – non scanning
Long path cell holders available (40mm cells)
Access

Open access via ASEP.

 


 

Technique

Luminescence spectrometry

‌‌‌

Instrument

PerkinElmer LS 55 Fluorescence spectrometer

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Standard system. Cooling cell available.
Access

Open access via ASEP.

 


 

Technique

Polarimeter

‌‌‌

Instrument

Perkin Elmer PE 341

Location

ASEP (01.133)

Contact

Darren Baskerville (ext 5595)
Capabilities Hg and Na lamps. Variable temperature option.Multiple cell options available: 
1 ml – 10 cm path length (micro cell)
5 ml – 10 cm path length (std cell)
1 ml – 1 cm path length (short path cell)
Flow through cell
Access

Open access via ASEP.

OUR RESEARCH
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