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Watch how changing the atmospheric pressure around objects can change their size.

The magnets here at the lab generate massive amounts of heat. To cool them off, we need massive amounts of water. But first, we have to take the ions out.

Mass spectrum reveals how many isotopes of a given element are to be found in a material.

The simple electrical cell explained here is the most basic type of "wet" cell and demonstrates the fundamental chemistry behind batteries.

English chemist John Frederick Daniell came up with a twist on the simple voltaic cell.

It's hard enough to weigh something as itty bitty as atoms or molecules. Factor in that they're careening by faster than Jeff Gordon on steroids, and you get an idea what scientists are up against. Using comet particles from NASA's Stardust mission as an example, this article explains how scientists measure atoms, and what kind of secrets they can uncover in the process.

It may look like a simple black blob, but an oil drop is in fact a phenomenally complex mix of immense (relatively speaking) molecules called hydrocarbons. Using a type of mass spectrometry called FT-ICR (in which the MagLab is a world leader), scientists can analyze oil and other macromolecules with amazing precision, uncovering important secrets in the process.

Follow us down this yellow brick road to learn how these deceptively small molecules conceal enormous potential for applications from carbon capture to data storage.

Using the world's most accurate molecular scale, a former astronaut wanna-be is studying Titan's hazy atmosphere, which resembles the ancient chemistry that once surrounded our own planet.

Although he was not the first person to observe a connection between electricity and magnetism, André-Marie Ampère was the first scientist to attempt to theoretically explain and mathematically describe the phenomenon.

Svante Arrhenius was born in Vik, Sweden, and became the first native of that country to win the Nobel Prize.

J. Georg Bednorz jointly revolutionized superconductivity research with K. Alex Müller by discovering an entirely new class of superconductors, often referred to as high-temperature superconductors.

A native of Germany, the physicist Gerd Binnig co-developed the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with Heinrich Rohrer while the pair worked together at the IBM Research Laboratory in Switzerland.

Physicist Felix Bloch developed a non-destructive technique for precisely observing and measuring the magnetic properties of nuclear particles.

Leon Cooper shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics with John Bardeen and Robert Schrieffer, with whom he developed the first widely accepted theory of superconductivity.

Born in Palo Alto, California, and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts – homes to Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively – you could say Eric Cornell was destined to become a renowned scientist.

Charles-Augustin de Coulomb invented a device, dubbed the torsion balance, that allowed him to measure very small charges and experimentally estimate the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged bodies.

English scientist William Crookes was very innovative in his investigations with vacuum tubes and designed a variety of different types to be used in his experimental work.

Humphry Davy was a pioneer in the field of electrochemistry who used electrolysis to isolate many elements from the compounds in which they occur naturally.

Peter Debye carried out pioneering studies of molecular dipole moments, formulated theories of magnetic cooling and of electrolytic dissociation, and developed an X-ray diffraction technique for use with powdered, rather than crystallized, substances.

A self-educated man with a brilliant mind, Michael Faraday was born in a hardscrabble neighborhood in London.

Enrico Fermi was a titan of twentieth-century physics.

Murray Gell-Mann is a theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1969 for his contributions to elementary particle physics.

James Prescott Joule experimented with engines, electricity and heat throughout his life.

While growing up in the Soviet Union, Lev Landau was so far ahead of his classmates that he was ready to begin college at age 13.

Chemist Paul Lauterbur pioneered the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for medical imaging.

Robert Andrews Millikan was a prominent American physicist who made lasting contributions to both pure science and science education.

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes was a Dutch physicist who first observed the phenomenon of superconductivity while carrying out pioneering work in the field of cryogenics.

A discovery by Hans Christian Ørsted forever changed the way scientists think about electricity and magnetism.

In a career that lasted seven decades, Max Planck achieved an enduring legacy with groundbreaking discoveries involving the relationship between heat and energy, but he is most remembered as the founder of the "quantum theory."

Edward Mills Purcell was an American physicist who received half of the 1952 Nobel Prize for Physics for his development of a new method of ascertaining the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei.

Isidor Isaac Rabi won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1944 for his development of a technique for measuring the magnetic characteristics of atomic nuclei.

Swiss physicist Heinrich Rohrer co-invented the scanning tunneling microscope (STM), a non-optical instrument that allows the observation of individual atoms in three dimensions, with Gerd Binnig.

Joseph John Thomson, better known as J. J. Thomson, was a British physicist who first theorized and offered experimental evidence that the atom was a divisible entity rather than the basic unit of matter, as was widely believed at the time.

William Thomson, known as Lord Kelvin, was one of the most eminent scientists of the nineteenth century and is best known today for inventing the international system of absolute temperature that bears his name.

Alessandro Volta was an Italian scientist whose skepticism of Luigi Galvani's theory of animal electricity led him to propose that an electrical current is generated by contact between different metals.

Researching magnetism with the great mathematician and astronomer Karl Friedrich Gauss in the 1830s, German physicist Wilhelm Weber developed and enhanced a variety of devices for sensitively detecting and measuring magnetic fields and electrical currents.

Carl Edwin Wieman is one of three physicists credited with the discovery of a fifth phase of matter, for which he was awarded a share of the prestigious Nobel Prize in 2001.

With only minor changes to its original 1866 design, the Leclanché cell evolved into modern alkaline batteries and the most popular household battery to date.

Scientists take important steps toward a fuller understanding of electricity, as well as some fruitful missteps, including an elaborate but incorrect theory on animal magnetism that sets the stage for a groundbreaking invention.

Alessandro Volta invents the first primitive battery, discovering that electricity can be generated through chemical processes; scientists quickly seize on the new tool to invent electric lighting. Meanwhile, a profound insight into the relationship between electricity and magnetism goes largely unnoticed.

Hans Christian Ørsted’s accidental discovery that an electrical current moves a compass needle rocks the scientific world; a spate of experiments follows, immediately leading to the first electromagnet and electric motor.

The Industrial Revolution is in full force, Gramme invents his dynamo and James Clerk Maxwell formulates his series of equations on electrodynamics.

The telephone and first practical incandescent light bulb are invented while the word "electron" enters the scientific lexicon.

Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison duke it out over the best way to transmit electricity and Heinrich Hertz is the first person (unbeknownst to him) to broadcast and receive radio waves.

Scientists discover and probe x-rays and radioactivity, while inventors compete to build the first radio.

Albert Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity and his theory on the quantum nature of light, which he identified as both a particle and a wave. With ever new appliances, electricity begins to transform everyday life.

Scientists' understanding of the structure of the atom and of its component particles grows, the phone and radio become common, and the modern television is born.

Defense-related research leads to the computer, the world enters the atomic age and TV conquers America.

Computers evolve into PCs, researchers discover one new subatomic particle after another and the space age gives our psyches and science a new context.

Pack a sack lunch and load up! We're hitting the road to learn how this massive magnet tracks sodium moving through your brain.

This iron-packed substance has a dual personality; one second it's a liquid, the next it's a solid. Mix up a batch at home and see how this unique stuff works.

Iron is found in magnet, steel beams – and in our food! It tastes better in cashews than in bar magnets!

Watch crystals grow in this time lapse footage and learn how to grow your own crystals at home.

It’s slime time! Use the recipes below to make your own ooey gooey slime and explore its shapeshifting states of matter.

This high-field EPR study of the H-Mn²⁺ content in the bacterium Deinococcus Radiodurans provides the strongest known biological indicator of cellular ionizing radiation resistance between and within the three domains of the tree of life, with potential applications including optimization of radiotherapy.

An exciting advance of interest to future molecular-scale information storage. By using the uniquely high frequency Electron Magnetic Resonance techniques available at the MagLab, researchers have found single molecule magnets that feature direct metal orbital overlap (instead of weak superexchange interactions), resulting in behavior similar to metallic feromagnets that is far more suitable to future technologies than previous molecular magnets.

New instrumentation allows electron magnetic resonance experiments to be performed in the lab’s flagship 36 T Series-Connected Hybrid magnet, unlocking exceptionally high-resolution EMR spectra at the highest magnetic fields.

This study reports the first example of a europium single-molecule magnet – a molecule that can retain alignment of its ‘North’ and ‘South’ poles at low temperatures. Combined magnetic, high-field EPR and theoretical studies shed light on the importance of the rare Eu2+ oxidation state and the quasi-linear molecular geometry for achieving these properties.

Previous work at the MagLab demonstrated that it is possible to design molecules containing a LuII ion such that its lone unpaired electron is shielded against harmful magnetic noise, giving rise to a prototype molecular spin qubit with enhanced coherence. The present investigation extends this strategy to other members of the lanthanide series, such as PrII, which also has a lone unpaired electron in the 5d shell, while its two unpaired f-electrons are non magnetic.

Molecules containing the Earth-abundant metal, titanium, are widely used as catalysts for production of polymers such as polyethylene, polycarbonates and other “plastics”. High-field EPR measurements performed at the MagLab on a series of titanium molecules prepared by the group of Daniel Mindiola (U. Penn) show small but distinct differences among them which will guide future synthetic efforts aimed at making more catalytically useful molecules.

A two-dimensional triangular network of europium ions connected by organic pyrazine molecules is shown to possess the perfect ingredients for efficient magnetic refrigeration at very low (sub-kelvin) temperatures. In particular, the large magnetic moment and high europium concentration open up exciting possibilities for efficient on-chip cooling, especially in scenarios where established inorganic refrigerants cannot be utilized.

Molecular fossils of chlorophyll (called porphyrins) more than 1.1 billion years old find suggest that photosynthesis began 600 million years earlier than previously established.

Researchers have discovered a new method to create encapsulated carbon nanomaterials that contain fluorine. Known as fullerenes, these nanocages are promising candidates for clean energy applications.

Precise determination of hemoglobin sequence and subunit quantitation from human blood for diagnosis of hemoglobin-based diseases.

A new method to characterize crude oil corrosion shows that corrosion in acidic crude oils depends on the specific structures of the acid molecules, information that can help improve oil valuation and refining.

New technique could lead to precise, personalized cancer diagnosis and monitoring.

Researchers used the MagLab to produce the first clarified map of KRAS proteins in colon cancer tumors. Twenty-eight additional forms of the KRAS protein were discovered, including a new form of the protein (called clipped-KRAS) that does not bind to the cell membrane, instead serving as a kind of on-off switch to regulate cell growth. These findings may help yield future cancer treatments. 

The 21 T FT-ICR mass spectrometer identified four times the number of species in natural organic matter than lower magnetic field systems, providing a molecular catalogue to a widely-used standard reference material.

Identification of toxic compounds in drinking water formed through disinfection reveals more than 3500 toxic, chlorinated species that can only be observed by the MagLab's high powered analytical instruments.

The 21T FT-ICR MS instrument enables the molecular characterization of atmospheric hazes - like that on Saturn’s moon, Titan - and water vapor to better understand the evolution of biological molecules in exoplanet atmospheres. 

MagLab researchers use 21 tesla ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) mass spectrometry to identify the best way to produce carbon fibers from petroleum waste products. The best carbon fibers are made from molecules that don’t contain sulfur or large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon structures, and these bad molecules can be converted to better precursors by mild thermal treatment.

Wildfires change the chemical composition of molecules in soil, and only the 21T FT-ICR mass spectrometer can assess the molecular composition to understand the long term impact of wildfires on soil chemistry.

Deuterated water (²H₂O) is often used to examine metabolic pathways in humans and animals. However, it can cause toxicity and distort metabolic readings. Here, using nuclear magnetic resonance technology, the researchers showed that a different molecule, ¹⁸O water (H₂¹⁸O), can be used instead of deuterated water to provide similar information without the metabolic distortions.

Scientists can create synthetic imitations of natural polymers, such as DNA, which provide an understanding of how nature works and can confer unique properties to the polymer that enable new applications in biotechnology. Researchers have discovered a new DNA structure can be created by adding a synthetic nucleotide to the DNA sequence. This new structure forms a compact fold that could have significant implications for the use of DNA in chemical sensors and information storage.

This finding demonstrates a path forward to dramatically enhance sensitivity for molecule concentration measurement by magnetic resonance using Overhauser DNP.

Chemists are rarely able to use oxygen NMR to determine molecular structures, since ¹⁷O is an extremely challenging nucleus to observe. This work provides a mechanism for obtaining a complete set of ¹⁷O NMR parameters for a glucose molecule, paving the way for researchers to consider ¹⁷O NMR as a new spectroscopic tool. 

Combining high magnetic fields, specialized probes, and measurement techniques, this work adds the crucial ¹⁷O nucleus into the study of biomolecules like peptides, proteins, and enzymes. 

A protein modification rarely found in terrestrial animals was discovered in the slime of the velvet worm. This slime, which is projected for prey capture and self defence, turns into strong, sticky, water-soluble fibers. Dynamic nuclear polarization - nuclear magnetic resonance (DNP-NMR) facilities at the MagLab were used to understand the molecular structure of these fibers, work that may inspire the development and production of new classes of sustainable, advanced materials.

Rhodium (Rh) is one of the most costly and scarce platinum group elements; however, it is of great importance in many technologies including catalytic converters, electronics, and medical devices. Here ultra-high magnetic field instruments and new NMR methodology at the MagLab unlocked access to perform 103Rh solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, a technique that can study the molecular structures of Rh-containing materials.

Solid oxide fuel cells generate clean energy by oxidizing green fuels like hydrogen and reducing atmospheric oxygen, without recharging or emissions that contribute to climate change. They use a fast ion conductor electrolyte to move oxygen ions between electrodes, converting chemical energy to power. Our research uses ⁷¹Ga solid-state NMR spectroscopy on the highest-field magnet in the world to study the numbers of oxygen ions near gallium atoms – this will inform the design of better electrolyte materials for fuel cells.

Using high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at the MagLab, researchers discovered that adding atomic-level defects to a material called amorphous aluminosilicate (AAS) enhances its ability to accelerate chemical reactions. By creating oxygen atom gaps, the acidic strength of AAS is boosted, improving its effectiveness for industrial applications. This advancement may lead to more efficient, eco-friendly production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

We discovered how two important molecules in cartilage, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and collagen, interact at the atomic level. Using advanced NMR technologies, we found that they form "salt bridges" and hydrogen bonds, helping to stabilize cartilage structure. This understanding could lead to better treatments for joint diseases like osteoarthritis and improve the development of synthetic cartilage materials.

Reuse of the MagLab's Ion Cyclotron Resonance facility data improved understanding of protein fragmentation and aided the design and release of new algorithms and software tools. This is representative of a new type of MagLab user: A Data User – who accesses MagLab data from public data repositories to advance independent research goals. 

Combining new data with an existing MagLab dataset, researchers characterized the millions of unique chemicals found in our waterways, including both natural compounds formed by the decomposition of plant matter and man-made toxic pollutants. 

MagLab data collected with the 21 tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometer demonstrate the risk associated with internal fragment annotation in mass spectra of intact proteins. These findings will enhance the integrity of top-down proteomics data and prevent misidentification of proteins involved in biological phenotypes of interest.

Combining tremendous strength with a high-quality field, the MagLab’s newest instrument promises big advances in interdisciplinary research.

State-of-the-art ion cyclotron resonance magnet system offers researchers significantly more power and accuracy than ever before.

A unique way to bond together single-layer semiconductors opens a door to new nanotechnologies.

Finding could make pricey, massive scanners a thing of the past.

Martha Chacón-Patiño to jump-start collaboration that could advance both the treatment of cancer and the study of petroleum.

Using tools at the MagLab, scientists pinpoint pigments that are the oldest on record.

Lab veteran Tim Cross has been named 2019-2020 Lawton Distinguished Professor by his peers.

Physicist Christianne Beekman and chemist Yan-Yan Hu have been recognized as outstanding early-career researchers by the National Science Foundation.

Enabled by a world-record instrument, the images convey vast amounts of data that could be useful in health and pharmaceutical research.

As head of nuclear magnetic resonance at the MagLab's Tallahassee headquarters, Rob Schurko hopes to expand capabilities and build new magnets.

MagLab researchers show that exposure to sun and water causes thousands of chemicals to leach from roads into the environment.

New funding will explore the mysteries of the Platinum group elements to investigate possible alternatives to rare and expensive materials used in an array of clean energy applications.

The MagLab and the Bruker Corporation have installed the world’s first 21 tesla magnet for Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry.

MagLab analysis finds the space rock is among the most complex materials.

Improving technology for research of biomolecules and advancing our understanding of health and disease.

MagLab analysis provides new insight about the molecular composition of velvet worm slime, which has long fascinated scientists because of its remarkable qualities.

MagLab NMR Facility Director Rob Schurko was awarded the Vold Prize for his contributions to the field of solid-state NMR over the past 25 years.

"We're opening up the world at a molecular level to understand how these fires are going to impact us."

Researchers are working to characterize the virus’ envelope protein, or E protein, believed to be key to virus activity.

The first mass spectrum from Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance happened in December 1973. The co-inventor went on to build MagLab’s world-renowned program.

Fuel made from corn harvest waste would reduce greenhouse emissions by 70%.

An FSU chemistry team advances work to find batteries that charge faster and last longer.

Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory are working to learn more about predatory bacteria called BALOs and what role they could play, from the carbon cycle in our oceans to fighting infectious disease.

After years advising the lab as a member of our User and External Advisory Committees, Kristina (Kicki) Håkansson will now lead the MagLab’s ICR facility.

MagLab research works to find and catalog PFAS forever chemicals in our environment.

Research shows the fungus shuffles and rebuilds its cell wall to defend against antifungal drugs.

New tool will enable biological research and bioengineering at a super-small scale, opening the door to improved testing of pharmaceuticals and creation of healthcare nanorobots.

MagLab researchers are working to investigate platinum group metals using the world’s most powerful Nuclear Magnetic Resonance systems.

MagLab engineers will develop a new superconducting magnet for high-field nuclear magnetic resonance research.

MagLab researcher Zhehong Gan has been named 2025 recipient of the Gunther Laukien prize for developing advanced techniques to study complex materials using nuclear magnetic resonance.

"Meet the Magnets" is available free to teachers, students, and families everywhere, giving them a behind the scenes look at the world’s largest magnet laboratory

Thin, flexible, strong: MagLab research on the marvel of insect wings

Thanks to the MagLab’s expertise and unique instruments, a geochemist finds a treasure trove of oil-spill data buried beneath the sea.

Studying dissolved organic matter helps us better understand our changing planet.

Members of a sprawling science team piece together the puzzle of biochar, a promising tool in the fight against global warming.

A deeper understanding of petroleum molecules is shedding a harsh light on how some of them behave in our environment.

Some manmade chemicals feature bonds so strong they could last forever. And that's a life-threatening problem.

A team of researchers pulls off a daring data caper in Delaware Bay, swiping secrets about the movement of molecules between air and water.

New research is a first step toward understanding how a certain protein may help tuberculosis bacteria survive.

MagLab researchers and doctors at the University of Florida are testing a new MRI technique that can deliver images of the lungs like never before

Used to perform complex chemical analysis, this magnet offers researchers the world's highest field for ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

A young chemist studying fracking fluid talks about what it's like when science hits close to home.

Paleobiogeochemist (no, that's not a typo) Nur Gueneli put some ancient dirt into our magnets to learn more about the Earth's earliest inhabitants.

ICR technology helps identify new kinds of hemoglobin abnormalities.

Chemist Amy McKenna describes her path to science and to the MagLab

With determination, confidence and a top-notch team, this MagLab chemist exposed the complex secrets of crude oil, busting open a vast, new field.