• All users must familiarise themselves with the Risk Assessment before accessing the facility. A summary can be found online or on the main door to the NMR room along with the full risk assessment. If you would like a full copy then please just email us and we can send you it.

• High magnetic fields are present within the lab. If you have any metallic implants or a pacemaker please do not enter the lab and get in touch with us via e-mail or phone first and we will take your case from there. 
• We do not take any responsibility for your belongings including those that could be damaged by magnetic field such as cards with magnetic strip, watches or electronic devices. 
• There is a risk of asphyxia due to low oxygen levels in the event of a magnet quench. For your safety, oxygen depletion monitors are present throughout the lab (see locations). These alarms have two alert levels, if the blue beacon is flashing or sounding, evacuate the lab and contact one of the responsible people listed on the door. DO NOT enter the lab if the beacon is flashing under any circumstances.

• We do not handle chemicals in the lab – all samples should be made up in clean, sealed tubes in your own labs. Please do not wear lab coats and gloves in the lab, headphones are also prohibited in line with the School’s Health and Safety Policy

• The NMR facility operates 24/7. However, after working hours (9-5) the doors will be locked. If you want to use the lab outside working hours, we can provide you with a punch code for the entrance door at your first visit to the lab. Please make sure, that the door is locked and lights are off if you are leaving the lab outside of working hours and nobody else is present.
• Nitrogen fills are usually done on Tuesday morning from 9am. During this time, there will be no instruments available. They will gradually come back online from around half 10. Status of the instruments can be checked on NOMAD. Any changes to this schedule or planned helium fills will be notified by email.
• Please be courteous to other users especially when machine time is limited or at very busy points of the semester.
• View the instruments tab to make yourself familiar with available instruments and their capabilities

Submission of NMR samples for automated acquisition is controlled by in-house build web-based software NOMAD.  You can check the status in the NMR room at any time through the software. NOMAD should already be running on the computer when you come to the NMR lab.

NOMAD Dashboard Video

The linked video will guide you through the steps of using NOMAD to submit a sample

Sample Submission Video

The samples must be loaded onto a spinner. The next video demonstration shows how to insert your sample into a spinner in the way that minimises contamination of inner parts of the instrument. When you put sample into the depth gauge make sure that it is pushed all the way down and spinner holds your sample firmly. Please try to avoid handling the spinners – tissues are provided to help you keep everything clean.

Sample to spinner video

Put your samples into the correct holder on the correct machine (see the sample changers tab). If the holder is already occupied, please, return the spinner into the blue box and put the sample into the return racks. Each machine has their own return racks for the current and previous weeks (see “Retrieving Samples” tab for more details).

Once all the experiments have been run on your sample, you can access your data through the same dashboard from any computer connected to the University network (see the accessing data tab).

A few extra points:

• Samples can be resubmitted to the same holder if necessary – see video
• If you have submitted an experiment and change your mind, please cancel it – log in by clicking on the profile picture logo at the top right of the page, find the experiment in the queue list and check the box next to it, press the cancel selected button at the top of the list.
• You will be alerted if your experimental time exceeds the day allowance and is placed in the night queue – this means it will run between 7pm and 9am the next morning. It will also have a moon logo next to it in the list. If the night experiments queue is longer than the 14 hours allocated then the samples will roll over to the next night.
• If you are using a Young’s valve tube on Marcus or Noah set the parameter ro = 0. There are additional restrictions for using these tubes which are displayed on the instruments and the notice board as you enter the NMR room – if you are unsure please ask!

The instruments in the lab are equipped by three different types of sample changers.

For BACS and SampleXpressthere are some rules listed below that help to assure smooth operation of the instruments.

Bacs (on Marcus and Felix)

• Do not use tubes shorter than 7’’. There is a 7’’ gauge at the entrance of the NMR lab where you can check whether your tube is long enough for BACS sample changer. The 7’’ tubes must be unspoiled and have no cracks at the top.
•  If you want to insert your tube into a holder that cannot be reached you can move the conveyor belt by the buttons on the side of sample changer. If you do so, please pay attention. If the sample changer starts to operate release the button and wait until the sample changer finishes the operation.
•  If you want to retrieve a sample that is just coming out wait until the operation is completely finished and the arm is in the upper position and pincers are closed.
•  The BACS on Marcus has conveyor belt with 120 holders. Please pay attention to where you put your sample – we only use the inside ring with the numbers 1-60.

SampleXpress (on Noah and Alec)

• You can use any tube that is shorter than the yellow mark at the inlet port of the sample changer (see the picture below) with the exception of with Young’s valve tubes which must be 5’’. The longer Young’s valve tubes are too heavy and do not eject from the magnet.
• 
• Please see the following videos for a full demonstration of how to operate this sample changer via the touchscreen, there should never be any need to remove the lid!
• Add Samples
• Remove Samples
• Make sure that your sample changer has registered your sample (holder turned white). If your sample has not been registered take it out and put it back again.

Sample Case (on Hector and Ishbel)

• On the SampleCase, just find the number and insert your sample. Press the arrow button to move the sample change (please note, it cannot be moved when a sample is in the magnet).
• There are specific spinners for this sample changer in Hector’s room.

You can come back and take your sample off the sample changer as soon as your experiments are finished. This is highly recommended especially if your sample is precious or you want to use it for something else as we can’t take any responsibility for the samples that you leave in the lab.

All samples remaining in the sample changers are transferred in the return racks by other users that come to use the instrument later. The racks are clearly organised by instrument and weekdays. The racks for lower field instruments (Marcus, Noah and Ishbel) are on the desk near the main entrance and for 500 MHz (Alec and Felix) are on the desk near Felix. The return racks for 700 MHz instrument (Hector) are on the desk behind spectrometer PC.

All new NMR data generated can now be accessed directly from the NOMAD dashboard. Log in as you would to submit a sample and then press the search button.

The linked video explains the process of searching for data.

Accessing Data via NOMAD

Historic data will still be available on NOMAD Legacy.

If you haven’t already done so, please completely the Microsoft form and quiz to register for your account