Independent Development of Sample Preparation Tools for Solid-state NMR

In recent years, several research units have introduced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers. So far, solid-state NMR spectrometers have not been domestically manufactured and the equipment is completely dependent on imports. Therefore, both the instruments and sample preparation systems are expensive. The sample loading rotor is the crucial consumable in the magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR experiment. However, the extremely tough requirement on dimensional precision poses a great challenge in the machining of rotors. By analyzing the characteristics and practical applications of the imported 3.2 mm rotor and its sample preparation tools, we optimized the connection between the rotor parts, improved the sealing of rotor, and developed the MAS rotor and its sample preparation tools independently. The test results show that the self-made MAS rotor can run normally at 12 kHz, which meets the requirements of conventional solid-state NMR experiments. The sample preparation toolbox has advantages of simplicity and safety.