Facilities
The School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen's University Belfast offers direct commercial access to a portfolio of cutting-edge, high-value analytical instruments. Our services are backed by world-leading academic and technical expertise, providing definitive data and authoritative interpretation for complex challenges in Pharmaceuticals, Advanced Materials, and Environmental Sustainability.
Our facilities include unique regional and national assets, allowing us to provide a service portfolio structured to support both high-volume routine analysis and complex, bespoke R&D challenges.
Our state-of-the-art facilities include an environmental SEM, powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction equipment, a confocal Raman microscope, 400 & 600 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers. We also offer regional and national access to a 500 MHz solid-state NMR spectrometer, an Ion-mobility qTOF MS and a SAXS instrument - all unique in Northern Ireland.
Further School facilities include HPLC/MS and GC/MS, ICP-OES, thermal analysis (DSC/TGA), rheology and viscosity analysis, BET and Hg porosimetry equipment, a CD spectrometer, numerous UV/Vis and FT-IR/Raman spectrometers, as well as computational facilities.
An in-house team of 15 highly experienced technical staff provides analytical services to internal and external stakeholders.
We group our services by the level of complexity and the primary function they serve: Structural characterisation and routine identification.
I. Structural Characterisation and Advanced Identification
These services provide definitive, high-resolution answers for complex R&D and failure analysis.
| Service Area | Key Equipment | Industry Application |
| Definitive Structure | Single Crystal XRD | Absolute Structural Proof: Determining the 3D atomic structure of a new compound. Essential for patent submission and new drug discovery (providing publishable CIF data). |
| Solid-Form Analysis | Solid-State NMR | Polymorph Screening & Structure in Solids: Analysis of local structure, dynamics, and phase behavior in solid APIs, polymers, and catalysts where solution NMR is not applicable. |
| Purity & ID | Solution NMR (400 and 600 MHz) | Compound Confirmation & Purity Check: Rapidly confirming the molecular identity and purity of synthetic compounds in solution. Standard method for synthetic chemistry and batch release QA. |
| Complex Separation | IMS-qTOF MS | Isomer & Impurity ID: Separating and identifying structural isomers and trace impurities based on both mass and molecular shape. Critical for complex mixture analysis and forensics. |
| Material Imaging | Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) | Surface Topography & Elemental Analysis: High-magnification imaging to observe surface features, defects, and morphology, coupled with EDS for elemental composition mapping. Essential for materials failure analysis and quality inspection. |
| Nanoscale Structure | Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) | Particle Size & Shape: Non-destructive analysis of nanostructure, domain size, and aggregation state in the 1-100 nm range. Unique insight into nanomaterials and complex fluids. |
II. Routine Analysis & Quantification
These instruments are the workhorses for high-volume quality control, batch release, and compound confirmation.
| Service Area | Key Equipment | Industry Application |
| Separation & Quantification | LC-MS and GC-MS | Trace Quantification: Separating and accurately measuring known compounds in complex liquid or gas mixtures. High-volume analysis for environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical assays, and food safety. Determination of unknown components. |
| Crystalline ID | Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) | Phase Identification & % Crystallinity: Rapid identification of crystalline components in a solid sample and determination of % crystallinity. Standard for materials QC and mineral analysis. |
Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences: Focus on IMS-qTOF MS for metabolite profiling and "omics", and Solid-State NMR/PXRD for solid-form stability and polymorph screening.
Advanced Materials & Engineering: Utilise SAXS for composite structure and Solid-State NMR/PXRD for polymer and composite material analysis and failure investigation.
Environmental & Energy: Apply IMS-qTOF MS for trace pollutant identification and Solid-State NMR/PXRD/SEM for catalyst and material characterisation.
Request a Quote Today
We understand that commercial analysis is driven by turnaround time and data integrity. Our dedicated technical team ensures rapid, high-quality results backed by authoritative reporting.
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Step 1: Consultation: Contact us with your challenge. We will identify the best technique and provide a clear project plan.
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Step 2: Quotation: Receive a quote based on your organisation type (Commercial, SME, or Academic collaborator).
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Step 3: Analysis: We deliver a professional report with interpreted, actionable results.