External services
Services to Industry
Access to the Department’s diverse range of equipment and expertise is also available to industry, where we can provide your company with testing and analysis services. Our equipment is housed in ‘Small Research Facilities (SRFs) and run by dedicated experts with the know how to provide innovative solutions to your company’s issues.
NMR Facility
The facility operates thirteen solution-state and two solid-state FT NMR instruments with proton operating frequencies ranging between 200 and 700 MHz, which are capable of running most experiments of interest in the chemical sciences. Instruments are equipped with an extensive range of capabilities including cryogenic probes (at 600 and 700 MHz), multinuclear probes, high- and low-temperature operation and automation.
Mass Spectrometry Facility
The facility is extensively equipped with a selection of mass spectrometers and inlet systems including LC-MS, GC-MS, MALDI-MS, ion-mobility-MS. Services include high-resolution accurate mass analysis, amino acid analysis, proteomics, metabolomics, oligonucleotide analysis and high-throughput screening. The facility provides research services, collaborations and consultancy in the areas of mass spectrometry, separation science and related analytical chemistry projects. For further information about services and instrumentation please see the facility website and/or contact the MS services Manager John Walsby-Tickle.
Surface Analysis Facility
The Surface Analysis Facility (SAF) operates a diverse range of equipment with experienced staff to aid in the modification and provide comprehensive characterisation of surfaces and thin films. Particularly well equipped for FT-IR spectroscopy, AFM and BET the facility regularly works with industry on issues such as surface cleanliness and contamination issues, adhesion failures and disbondments and coating defects.
Chemical Crystallography
Chemical crystallography are one of the UK’s leading crystallography groups, equipped with state of the art diffractometers, carrying expertise in a range of related areas including absolute structure determination, structures from liquids, chiral discrimination, crystallisation and polymorphism. Past clients include various pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms.
The Centre for Advanced ESR (CAESR) houses state of the art continuous wave CW and pulsed instruments operating at both X-band, Q-band, and W-band alongside a well-equipped sample preparation lab allowing for application of the advanced techniques in shaped-pulse ESR research with microwave, optical, and current detection. In all instruments, samples may be investigated in the temperature range 2.5 - 400K and the centre benefits from a large fleet of lasers and other photoexcitation sources. Types of measurements made include catalysis, protein—protein recognition, electron-electron or electron-nuclei distances, hydrogen storage and pathogen-host interactions. Industrial interactions are an essential component of the centre function.
Proteomics
The facility is equipped with a wide range of mass spectrometry instrumentation, sample preparation technologies and data analysis software. We have experience in protein identification, quantitative mass spectrometry (SILAC, label-free, dimethyl labelling, TMT) and characterisation methods for a range of post-translational modifications.
Inorganic Materials Characterisation
The IMC facility encompasses powder diffraction, conductivity, and magnetometry measurements. It houses high resolution and high-intensity Cu sourced powder X-ray diffractometers, helium CCR conductivity apparatus, and Quantum Design MPMS-3 and MPMS-XL magnetometers. We have expertise in Rietveld refinement, phase analysis, and a wide range of magnetic property measurements.
Chemistry Teaching Laboratories
The state-of-the-art laboratories built in 2018 offer conference and lab facilities for external hire for summer schools, corporate training, and analytical service platforms supported by our staff of highly experienced demonstrators and technicians. Two main teaching labs are equipped with bench-top NMR, IR and UV spectrometers. The Analytical Suite houses a multinuclear NMR spectrometer, GC & GC/MS, HPLC & GPC, TLC-MS, ICP/MS & Flame AA, Raman, UV & Fluorescence spectrometers, X-ray diffractometers (both powder and single crystal) and DSC. The facilities also include a large seminar room (seating 100, which can be divided into two equal capacity rooms), write-up sections and a welcoming reception area. Analytical Suite services may be available throughout the year, subject to negotiation, and other facilities are available for hire outside of the Oxford University terms. To discuss your requirements and for further information please contact the Analytical Suite Manager, Dr Patrick Bergstrom Mann.
See Small Research Facilities for further equipment and services available throughout the University.
