CONSTRUCTION OF A PROTOTYPE LABORATORY-BUILT DESKTOP NMR SPECTROMETER

Abstract

A hardware system for a laboratory-built desktop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer was constructed with a module design based on single-phase detection architecture. This spectrometer features an operating frequency of DC to 100 MHz, RF pulse power of 0.7244 mW to 1.2589 W, minimum detectable signal of 1.5136 × 10−10 mW, and receiver bandwidth of 20 kHz. Verification of the functional feasibility of NMR detection was implemented using a 30-mL custom probe in a 0.23-T magnetic field. A baseband free induction decay was also acquired through the application of an RF pulse at 1 W for 10 μs. The observed initial amplitude and frequency of the MR signal are 1.47 V and 1.25 kHz, respectively. Meanwhile, the effective transverse relaxation time () for this configuration declines to no more than 15 ms because no shimming treatments were taken. The proposed desktop NMR spectrometer is suitable for building a hand-made NMR spectrometer in the laboratory, and enhances opportunities for novel and exciting NMR experiments.