Information for New Users

This information is for new users planning to submit their samples.

Please read:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nmr/training-prerequisites

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nmr/sample-preparation

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nmr/sample-submission

Email the NMR manager, a.e.aliev@ucl.ac.uk, to book time for training.

The NMR lab is in room LG1B in CIB. 

Enter the lab at the appointed time by the NMR manager. Before crossing yellow/black 5 Gauss lines on the floor, leave your watch, wallet, bank/travel cards, keys and any other personal items which can be affected by magnetic fields on the table between the old fridge and the printer.

Wash your hands.

The 300 MHz NMR will be used for training. It stands opposite two fridges in the lab. See below the picture of the 300 MHz magnet (on the right), sample changer (on the right, with blue and white spinners. Note: currently only blue spinners are used) and the spectrometer console (on the left). 

Available blue spinners can be found in two racks on the desk near the spectrometer PC (not shown in the picture). Pick up one of them, clean the outside surface of the tube and the spinner with the medical wipes.

The sample tube is inserted into the blue spinner first, then placed in the cylindrical depth gauge for the correct height adjustment. The tube is positioned so that the spinner touches the white plastic level at the bottom of the gauge. Watch 0:50-1:10 of this video if you have not done this before (20 sec only, starting from the 50th second, the rest is not relevant). To avoid improper positioning of the sample, make sure that your eyes are at the same level as the bottom of the tube when positioning the sample in the gauge.  

After adjusting the height of the sample relative to the spinner, leave the depth gauge on the desk. Wipe off the bottom of the tube again, making sure not to misalign the tube relative to the spinner. The sample can now be placed in the position chosen by you on the carousel (BACS60 sample changer on the 300MHz instrument). 

Memorise the sample position number. Collect your items, wash your hands and leave the lab. 

Follow these instructions to submit NMR experiments from your laptop. If you are doing it for the first time, follow this description starting from "To queue your sample, log in by selecting your supervisor's initials from..."

You can collect your sample from the NMR lab when NMR experiments have finished running. On the 300MHz NMR with the BACS60 sample changer, a spinner without an NMR tube must not be placed back in the sample changer. There are 2 racks on the PC desk (for 30 spinners each), where spinners must be placed.