Final ProgramCPSA 2011
Science and Technology Coming Together to Make a Difference
October 3 - 6, 2011
Bucks County Sheraton Hotel
Langhorne, PA
Poster Abstract #29
A simple and effective tube construct for salty samples in cryoprobes
Department of Chemistry, Frick Chemistry Laboratory, Rm.B09, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
ipelczer@princeton.edu
High ionic (usually salt) concentration seriously reduces the efficiency of cryoprobes (cold probes) degrading sensitivity and extending the 90 degree pulse width and good quality tune/match can be difficult. There are various solutions which have been proposed, some are quite sophisticated using special tubes (of oval shape, for example) or double smaller concentric inserts. A "poor man’s" choice can be simply taking a tube with smaller OD than that of the probe, introducing an air gap and increasing the distance between the body of the sample and the coil itself.
We describe a simple and inexpensive refined version of this latter approach which also utilizes the concept of separating lock and shim. It is most useful for (biological) samples in water but can be beneficial for all samples of high ionic strength. A relatively large OD (typically 4.1 mm) tube is used to carry the sample while the lock solvent is between the walls of the 5mm OD container tube and the insert. Other size combinations are also possible, of course. This tube construct largely resolves the above issues, retains the highest sensitivity, and makes it possible to avoid any dilution of the sample itself, next to additional smaller benefits.
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