Research facilities and equipment

Two 400 MHz NMR spectrometers, each with capabilities for solution or solid-state measurements.

Solution state

• 5mm BBFO – Z Gradient probe
• Nuclei range 1H / 19F / 15N – 31P
• Variety of 1D and 2D experiments
• Variable temperature range: -50 °C to +150 °C
• Sample Xpress High-throughput 60 position sample changer

Solid state

• 2.5mm TriGamma MAS Probe 1H / X / Y
• MAS rates up to 35 kHz
• X channel 50 – 70 kHz / 13C – 31P
• Y channel 40 – 50 kHz / 15N – 23Na
• Variable temperature range: -50 °C to +80 °C

Contact person: Dr Sian Woodfine (s.e.woodfine1@keele.ac.uk)

Key features

• Mo Kα (0.71073 Å) X-ray source
• Photon II C14 Pixel Array Detector
• Oxford Cryostream 800 for temperature control in the range 80-400 K

Sample capabilities

• Suitable for single crystals of organic or inorganic substances with minimum dimension ca. 20 µm
• Samples can be mounted using magnetic cryoloops, glass fibres or capillaries
• Full data processing (solution and refinement to publication quality) can be performed as a service or raw data provided

Contact person: Dr Chris Hawes (c.s.hawes@keele.ac.uk)

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Key features

• Cu Kα (1.54018 Å) X-ray source with LynxEye detector
• Flip-stick multi sample changer
• Can be fitted with capillary sample holder for small quantities or air-sensitive samples

Sample capabilities

• Suitable for powder samples for phase identification or indexing
• Zero-background sample holder, borosilicate or quartz microcapillaries available

Contact person: Dr Sian Woodfine (s.e.woodfine1@keele.ac.uk)

Key features

• 1260 Infinity II Preparative Binary Pump. Flow rate up to 50 mL/min for analytical and preparative scale purifications and separations
• Autosampler
• 1260 Infinity II Variable Wavelength Detector
• ELSD Detector
• Integrated mass spectrometer for LC-MS Sample Capabilities

Sample capabilities

• 5-100mg scales
• Reverse phase, normal phase, monolithic columns
• All integrated through Agilent OpenLab ChemStation

Contact person: Professor Gavin Miller (g.j.miller@keele.ac.uk)

Key features

• 2 Machines: Reveleris X2 and Buchi Pure C-815 Flash
• 250 mL/min flow rate at max. 50 bar
• 4 independent solvent lines
• Binary, linear, step and isocratic gradients
• Dual ELSD detection for non-chromophoric compounds and UV 200 - 800 nm detector
• Fully automated

Sample capabilities

• Suitable for mg to >100g automated chromatographic purifications
• Normal and reverse phase columns

Contact person: Professor Gavin Miller (g.j.miller@keele.ac.uk)

Key features

• Simultaneous determination of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur in solid samples
• 30 sample autosampler
• Dedicated analytical balance (0.01 mg readability) for sample preparation 

Sample capabilities

• Each measurement is performed on 1-2 mg of solid
• Organic or inorganic samples
• Reference standards for high or low carbon content available with vanadium pentoxide combustion aid

Contact person: Dr Chris Hawes (c.s.hawes@keele.ac.uk)

Key features

• Three independent analysis ports with 1000, 10 and 0.1 torr transducers
• Physisorption, chemisorption and vapour adsorption capabilities
• Six probe gas inlets
• Four sample preparation stations with activation temperatures up to 400 °C

Sample capabilities

• Three analysis temperature control options (dewar, water recirculator or furnace)
• Control and analysis software for BET surface area, DFT pore size distribution and enthalpy
• of adsorption calculations
• Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) chemisorption measurements
• Typical sample size ca. 20-50 mg

Contact person: Dr Vladimir Zholobenko (v.l.zholobenko@keele.ac.uk)

The Keele flow laboratory houses state of the art pumps that allow a range of flow conditions including packed-bed reactors, liquid-phase reactors and multi-phase (gas/liquid) reactors.

Specific equipment includes:

• Eldex Optos 1SM series pumps (Flow rate 0.003 – 5 mL min-1)
• Knauer AZURA P 4.1S pumps with pressure sensor (Flow rate 0.001 – 10 mL min-1)
• Waters fraction collector
• Gilson FC203 fraction collector
• Fisherbrand Digital Dry Baths with customised column heating blocks
• Omnifit columns (up to 15 mL internal volume)

Contact person: Dr Matt O’Brien (m.obrien@keele.ac.uk) or Dr Sebastian Cosgrove (s.cosgrove@keele.ac.uk)

Key features

• Simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis
• Ambient temperature to 1200 °C
• Programmable temperature ramp and dwell cycles

Sample capabilities

• Suitable for samples 1-10 mg
• N₂, O₂ or air atmospheres

Contact person: Dr Vladimir Zholobenko (v.l.zholobenko@keele.ac.uk)

Above: Example of computer simulations undertaken by the Astrophysics group. Vertical crosssection of the turbulent flow inside a star where carbon fusion at the bottom of the image makes the plasma buoyant and drives turbulence. The colour indicates the speed of the plasma (credit: R. Hirschi).

Key features

• Mixture of CPU and GPU (P100) architecture comprising a total of several hundred CPU cores
• Several hundred TBs of data storage

Contact person: Professor Raphael Hirchi (r.hirschi@keele.ac.uk) or Dr Barry Smalley (b.smalley@keele.ac.uk)