BrightSpec announced the start of operation of a broadband Molecular Rotational Resonance spectrometer at BASF’s research center in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
BASF will utilize MRR spectroscopy for the concise structure elucidation of organic compounds where isomerism is an underlying question. Major applications comprise stereochemical analysis, including chirality, defining the composition of mixtures without purification, and the facile structural analysis of gas-phase samples. Implementing MRR as a technology was driven by Senior Principal Scientists Wolf Stegmaier and Reinhard Doetzer of BASF’s Competence Center Analytics.
“MRR is an excellent tool for elucidating structures in combination with the classical methods FTIR, MS, and NMR since it provides critical information orthogonal to them,” stated Dr. Doetzer. He continued: “We leverage MRR to increase the accuracy and speed of the structure elucidation process, boosting our analytical productivity. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of a sample for which MRR would be the perfect method for solving a structure-related problem.”
Dr. Wolf Stegmaier added: “In gas analysis, MRR is providing quick answers for polar analytes without gas chromatographic separation or special detection systems. Its high selectivity is a great help in the direct analysis of complex gas samples; this is particularly so for the quantification of analytes in mixtures.”
BrightSpec’s Broadband MRR provides the unique ability to identify unknown molecules directly from a crude mixture. In conjunction with modern quantum-mechanical calculations, MRR allows identifying the unequivocal three-dimensional structure of a molecule without reference standard or front-end separation. This combination increases sample throughput and drastically reduces the cost for many applications across the Pharmaceutical and Chemical industries.
Director of Business Development at BrightSpec, Dr. Christopher Thompson, commented: “We are thrilled that BASF has adopted our MRR platform into their analytical workflows. The installation is a testament to the capabilities of the entire BrightSpec team. The close partnership between scientists at BrightSpec and BASF will ensure the success of the Broadband MRR over the coming years.”
Walter Colsman, BrightSpec’s CEO, stated, “I am extremely proud to officially announce our relationship with BASF. Both companies see the broad potential for MRR at BASF, extending beyond the lab and into operations, and we will work together to develop BASF’s MRR platform. For example, BASF’s broadband MRR will help develop routine applications that are suitable to run on BrightSpec’s isoMRR, enabling rapid, targeted applications such as online process analytics or quality control.”