Chemistry Project Abstract
MAXIMIZING THE SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO OF NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (NMR) RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) COILS IN SAMPLES OF MICROSCOPIC SIZE
Presenter:
Mark Hoadley, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 West Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; hoadley@imsa.edu
Mentor:
Alan Feinerman, Ph.D., Professor and Director MAL Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago, 221 W. Erie St., Chicago, IL 60607
Abstract:
Current NMR techniques analyze samples of microscopic size with less precision than desired. I am attempting to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which corresponds to an improvement in precision for RF coils designed especially for the analysis of very small samples. Coils of 1000 microns in length were designed to spiral very tightly around a given sample, imitating the behavior of concentric circles and theoretically maximizing the SNR. Several such coils are being microfabricated to test and optimize several variables determining the lengths and specifications of the coils' various facets. An optimal production method has been empirically determined, and the research continues with the process of inserting the coils into liquid-samples for NMR analysis and testing.