NMR Certification Program

The NMR Facility is developing a multi-level certification program for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students. The curriculum will span basic NMR competency, more advanced NMR techniques, and parameter calibrations.

As we have been setting up the necessary computer networking for enhancing the undergraduate chemistry laboratory curriculum by introducing more access to NMR technology, we have been thinking about how much more attractive we could make our graduates if we could give to prospective employers or graduate schools a good indicator of how much NMR our students master.

A certification program, with the curriculum and requirements posted on this NMR Facility web site, would do that.

At the latest Experimental NMR Conference, the Association of Managers in Magnetic Resonance Laboratories enjoyed a presentation from Linda Lohr of Pfizer, Inc. in which she described what she looks for in terms of NMR competencies when she interviews job applicants.

Many applicants have only minimal competency, having used the menu-driven "walk-up" NMR software available on most modern systems. Those applicants with more substantial competency enjoyed greater prospects for a job offer. Dr. Lohr's slides are presented here and are in harmony with the pedagogical approach we have in mind. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them.

Get Adobe Acrobat Reader here.

Under Construction

Minimal Requirements for a User Password

• prepare suitable sample with proper tube, solvent, purity, and concentration
• insert and eject sample safely
• obtain NMR spectrum using GLIDE automation software or "manual" techniques
• process and plot data, with proper phasing, chemical shift reference, and balanced integrals
• save and retrieve data from disk

NMR Certificate I

• Coursework:
  • Chem 340 - Organic Chemistry I (3)
  • Chem 341 - Organic Chemistry I Lab (2)
  • Chem 342 - Organic Chemistry II (3)
  • Chem 343 - Organic Chemistry II Lab (2)
• basic concept of I=½ nuclear magnetization
• vector model understanding of CW and FT NMR
• elements of simple pulse sequences
• block diagram of an NMR spectrometer
• setup and acquisition of ¹H and ¹³C spectra without GLIDE, including lock and shim procedures
• interpretation of 1-D NMR spectra: chemical shift, scalar coupling, integration

NMR Certificate II

• completion of level I certification
• Coursework:
  • Chem 434 - Instrumental Analytical Chemistry (4)
  • Chem 461 - Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy (3)
  • Chem 466 - Physical Chemistry Laboratory (1)
• thorough understanding of acquisition parameters
• probe tuning
• pulse width calibration
• homonuclear decoupling, 1-D nuclear Overhauser effect, solvent presaturation
• heteronuclear decoupling, broadband and selective
• advanced 1-D experiments: T₁ and T₂ measurement, APT, DEPT
• 2-D experiments: homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation
• other NMR-active nuclei
• to be announced...

NMR Certificate III

• detailed block diagram understanding of an NMR spectrometer
• use of electronic test equipment to diagnose instrument failure
• demonstration of instrument specifications
• thorough familiarity with unix operating system, as unix user
• fundamentals of unix system administration
• administration of NMR system software
• magnet cryogens
• ...I think we're already in too deep!

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