SBIR Phase I: Automated microfluidic reaction monitoring via miniaturized NMR spectroscopy

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to develop a commercially-viable miniaturized nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer for automated small molecule monitoring and analysis. The project aims to address major obstacles preventing widespread adoption of NMR spectroscopy. The proposed innovation is a miniaturized, cost-effective, and user-friendly NMR system, thus addressing major obstacles preventing widespread adoption of this powerful analytical method. It will be suitable for placement in industrial manufacturing environments to provide chemometric insights on complex solutions, resulting in reduced manufacturing costs for a wide range of high-value biochemical products. The proposed innovation constitutes a platform technology with a broad range of applications. The proposed SBIR Phase I project will be to advance the development of NMR spectroscopy. The proposed point-of-need, microfluidic, push-button NMR spectrometer presents technical challenges in the areas of hardware miniaturization for mass production, automated turnkey design, multidimensional pulse sequence design, and assisted post-processing annotation. The proposed project will explore the trade space defined by low instrument sensitivity, as a compromise due to permanent magnets with limited magnetic field strengths. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.