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School of Chemistry

Our research facilities

Image of research facilities at the School of Chemistry

The department houses a wide variety of instrumentation, some of which is detailed below. For a full list of the department's capabilities, please contact the head technician for details.

NMR Spectroscopy

We have NMR spectroscopic facilities at both 250MHz and 500MHz. Both these instruments have automated facility and have multinuclear probes (up to silver). Both machines also have broadband solid state and variable temperature solid state capabilities (originally deveolped in Bangor). They are able to produce multidimensional spectra and have inverse detection capability. Both machines can do variable temperature analysis of samples. The 500MHz machine also has the possibility of being connected to other systems such as LC and MS. Contact our head technician Dennis Williams for more details.

Mass Spectrometry

The department has facilities for the measurement of both low and high resolution mass spectra. Our suite of mass spectrometers includes two quadrupole mass spectrometers with GC and electrospray capability and a high resolution magnetic sector instrument. We have recently aquired a Brucker high-resolution TOF and Micromass GC/MS. MALDI and FTICR capabilities are available through the School of Biological Sciences.

Infrared Spectrometry

We have a number of standard FTIR spectrophotometers for the measurement of routine samples. High level IR measurements are performed on two Bruker IFS 113v spectrometers with in the electrochemistry group and this group also has many other capabilities for surface measurements using IR, electrochemical and microscopy techniques (further details on their web pages).

Chromatography

The department has various chromatographic capabilities, including numerous GC and HPLC instruments. The HPLC instruments come with a range of detectors, including fluorescence detection.

UV-Spectrophotometry

UV spectra can be measured using standard instrumentation. There are facilities for kinetics measurements.

X-ray diffraction and Surface Analysis

With the strong advanced materials groups within the department we have access to powder diffraction x-ray crystallography and an XPS (X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy) unit. We also have light microscopes with digital capture. SEM and TEM capabilities are accessed through different departments in the faculty of science, particularly biology, ocean sciences and engineering.

Other facilities available to the chemistry department include ICP, graphite furnace and Atomic Absorption spectroscopy. These are housed in the Institute for Environmental Science.

Electrionics Workshop:

Contact: Mike Lewis

The electronics workshop has technical expertise in servicing most types of electronic/electrical equipment and computer control equipment. They are also able to build custom pieces of equipment and software for research and development.

Specific expertise includes instrumentation for the measurement of chemical processes, such as precision monitoring of reaction parameters and crystallisation/deposition processes; electronic magnetic measurement; design of test equipment; mechanical engineering and other precision equipment.

Facilities available include those for the design and repair of electronic and research equipment, CAD systems for circuit design, and software design and development.

Examples of completed projects: specialised osmometer; specialised constant current source; precision deposition layer measurement equipment.

We are capable of much more than is detailed above. If you have a specific application or enquiry, do not hesitate to contact the chief electronics technician, Mike Lewis.

Glass Blowing and Mechanical Workshop:

We have a fully equipped glass blowing facility for the on-site repair, production and design of custom glassware.

The mechanical workshop has excellent machining facilities, including a lathe, miller and verticle drill, and is able to make equipment with micron precision.

The workshop also deals with the storage and handling of the department's liquid nitrogen and compressed gasses.

Support Staff

Head Technician:

Dennis Williams

Technicans:

Gwynfor Davies, Glynne Evans, Louise Simpson and Nicholas Welsby