Chemistry Core

Overview of Services

The Curie Laboratory is a centralized analytical facility that supports undergraduate education, faculty research, and interdisciplinary collaboration through access to modern chemical characterization instrumentation. Originally established to enhance hands-on learning in upper-level chemistry courses, the Curie Lab has evolved into a shared-use core that also plays a critical role in supporting departmental research activities when not engaged in instructional use. The facility houses a diverse suite of instruments spanning spectroscopy, thermal analysis, elemental analysis, and materials characterization. Current instrumentation includes a Horiba Fluoromax-4 spectrofluorometer for steady-state fluorescence and anisotropy measurements; Shimadzu 2600i UV-Vis and Shimadzu AA-7000 atomic absorption spectrophotometers for molecular and elemental analysis in solution; TA Instruments DSC 250 and TGA 550 systems for thermal and compositional analysis of materials; and an Elementar UNICUBE elemental analyzer for precise CHNS/O elemental determination. Together, these tools support applications ranging from kinetics and spectroscopy to polymer characterization, thermal stability studies, and compositional analysis. In addition to routine sample analysis, the Curie Lab emphasizes user training and experiential learning. Undergraduate and graduate students gain direct exposure to advanced instrumentation, data collection, and interpretation, reinforcing core concepts taught in analytical, physical, inorganic, and materials chemistry curricula. The mission of the Curie Laboratory is to provide accessible, high-quality analytical instrumentation that enhances undergraduate education, supports faculty-led research, and fosters a collaborative environment for scientific discovery and student training.

The Mississippi State University NMR Center is a core magnetic resonance research facility housing Bruker AVANCE III 300, 500, and 600 MHz NMR spectrometers, a Bruker Neo 800 MHz NMR spectrometer, and a Bruker EMX-10 EPR spectrometer. The facility supports cutting-edge research by faculty and students across the Department of Chemistry and serves as a regional resource for researchers throughout Mississippi and the surrounding area.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful, non-destructive technique used to investigate molecular structure, dynamics, and interactions. It is widely applied to studies of organic, inorganic, organometallic, and biomolecular systems, as well as to chemical kinetics and molecular motion. The NMR Center provides researchers with advanced instrumentation, expertise, and support to enable high-quality, quantitative analysis of solution-state samples.

The Mass Spectrometry Facility provides comprehensive analytical support for research, teaching, and external collaborations across the chemical, biological, materials, and environmental sciences. The facility serves as a centralized core dedicated to high-quality molecular, elemental, and surface characterization, supporting both routine analyses and advanced research applications. Our instrumentation suite includes a Bruker Impact II high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) for accurate mass determination and molecular formula confirmation; two Shimadzu QP-2010S GC-MS systems, including one equipped with a pyrolysis attachment for polymer, materials, and complex matrix analysis; an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC-MS for LC-based separations coupled to mass detection; a Perkin Elmer ELAN DRC II ICP-MS for trace- and ultra-trace elemental analysis; and a Micromeritics TriStar II Plus BET instrument for surface area and porosity measurements. Together, these tools enable qualitative and quantitative analysis across a wide range of sample types. The facility offers services including method development, sample analysis, data interpretation, and user training. In addition to supporting funded research programs, the core plays an important educational role by training undergraduate and graduate students in modern analytical techniques and best practices for instrument use and data quality. The mission of the Mass Spectrometry Facility is to provide reliable, high-quality analytical services; maintain state-of-the-art instrumentation; and foster a collaborative, accessible environment that advances research excellence, student training, and interdisciplinary discovery.

The X-ray facility in the Chemistry Department at Mississippi State University offers support to MSU's research by performing solid-state, single-crystal, and powder analyses on a variety of samples ranging from biological, organic, metal-organic, or inorganic.  Service work and training is offered to qualified researchers to solve and collect their own structures and data. Full structural determinations provide atomic coordinates in three-dimensional spaces that can be used for publication in peer-reviewed journals, typically provided in the format of a crystallographic information file (CIF) along with a crystallographic report that contains refinement details and references.

Leadership

Location and hours of operation

Links and Resources

1. https://www.chemistry.msstate.edu/facilities/CURIE
2. https://www.chemistry.msstate.edu/facilities/nmr
3. https://www.chemistry.msstate.edu/facilities/mass-spectrometry
4. https://www.chemistry.msstate.edu/facilities/xray

Contacts