Application of the Institutional Technical Reserve from 2023 in the instrumentation of the Central Laboratory of Chemical and Structural Analysis (LACAQUE) at the Institute of Chemistry, Unesp-Araraquara.

• Grant number: 24/20133-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Technical Reserve for Institutional Research Infrastructure
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Denise Bevilaqua
• Grantee: Denise Bevilaqua
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Central Laboratory of Chemical and Structural Analysis (LACAQUE) wasestablished to support research at the Chemistry Institute of the Araraquara Campus(IQ) and ensure the sustainability of IQ's equipment park. LACAQUE's regulations wereapproved and implemented during the tenth ordinary meeting of the IQ Congregationon December 18, 2023, as per ordinance D-IQAr 70/2023. LACAQUE operates under acollegiate management system, guided by a Management Committee establishedthrough ordinance D-IQAr No. 34/2024, dated March 15, 2024. This committee is ledby the director of the unit, who serves as its president, represented by the Vice-Director, Prof. Dr. Denise Bevilaqua (from March 11, 2024, to October 20, 2024).Additional members include Prof. Dr. Eduardo Maffud Cilli, representative of the UsersCommittee (from March 11, 2024, to March 10, 2026), and platform supervisorChubraider Xavier, a technical-administrative staff member.LACAQUE also includes a User's Committee formed by ordinance D-IQAr No.32/2024, on March 11, 2024. Members of this committee are Prof. Dr. Marcelo Nalin,representative of the Department of Analytical, Physical Chemistry, and InorganicChemistry (DAFQI, from March 11, 2024, to March 10, 2026); Prof. Dr. Eduardo MaffudCilli, representative of the Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry (DBQO,from March 11, 2024, to March 10, 2026); Prof. Dr. Gustavo Nakamura Alves Vieira,representative of the Department of Engineering, Physics, and Mathematics (DEFM,from March 11, 2024, to March 10, 2028); Dr. João Luiz Bronzel Junior, representativeof the technical-administrative staff (from March 11, 2024, to March 10, 2026); LaraCerazi Salvador, graduate student representative (from March 11, 2024, to March 10,2025); and Gabriel Luis Colombo, undergraduate student representative (from March11, 2024, to March 10, 2025).LACAQUE currently supports 42 accredited multi-user equipment (EMus). Thisincludes five gas chromatographs (three of which are linked to mass spectrometers),five liquid chromatographs (two linked to mass spectrometers, one designated forGPC, one for ion chromatography, and one for reversed phase with DAD detection), ahigh-resolution mass spectrometer, a spectrofluorimeter coupled to a phosphorimeterand nanoLED, a quantum yield determination spectrometer, two Raman scatteringspectrometers (macro and micro), two infrared spectrometers (two macro and onemicro), two UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometers, one X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, onephoton-electron scattering spectrometer, a circular dichroism spectropolarimeter, fournuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, a CHNS/O elemental analyzer, two zetapotential/dynamic light scattering analyzers, a surface charge analyzer, a profilometer,an ellipsometer, two powder X-ray diffractometers, a small-angle X-ray scatteringspectrometer, an ICP-MS spectrometer, a flame atomic absorption spectrometer, anoptical contact angle analyzer, and a thermogravimetric analyzer. To support this multi-user infrastructure, the main building of the IQ Analytical Center was inaugurated inNovember 2020, sharing its name with the multi-user platform it houses. Funding fromthe Institutional Technical Reserve for the base year 2022 enabled adaptations to theinfrastructure on the upper floor. However, there is an urgent need to equip the samplepreparation laboratory and relocate the ICP-MS equipment to its designated multi-userlaboratory to ensure effective service. Additionally, there is a pressing need for trainingfor the technical-administrative staff. (AU)