Hazendonk, Paul

My research focuses on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) in both solid and solutions state. I focus on fluorine containing materials such as fluoropolymers, inorganic polymers and inorganic fluorides. Fluoropolymers see wide commercial application anywhere from coatings, such as TEFLON non-stick surfaces, to garments, such as GORTEX, to membranes as used in speakers and in filters. One of the main objectives of his research is to provide a mechanistic understanding of the macroscopic properties of these materials at a molecular level. Since the fluorine nucleus poses a particular spectroscopic challenge, his research has a strong focus on the development of new NMR techniques and theory. Paul uses the new 500 MHz VARIAN INOVA spectrometer housed in Exploration Place at the University of Lethbridge. This instrument has a unique configuration, one of about four in the world, which are specially adapted for work on fluorine.