TY - CONF A1 - Meyer, Klas T1 - NMR Spectroscopy as a PAT tool: Field integration of a laboratory instrument N2 - Companies of chemical industry find themselves more often in a rapidly changing environment, e.g., due to variability of raw material quality or energy costs and efficiency. Process optimization and new process concepts become more and more important. Flexible and modular chemical plants can produce various high-quality products using multi-purpose equipment with short downtimes between campaigns and reduce time to market for new products. Intensified continuous production plants allow for difficult to produce compounds like exothermic reactions with high heat dissipation. Highly automated chemical process monitoring along with real-time quality control are prerequisites to such concepts and, thus, should be based on chemical information. A commercially available benchtop NMR spectrometer was integrated to the full requirements of an automated chemical production environment such as explosion safety, field communication, and robust evaluation of sensor data. Field studies in modular and conventional production plant setups show promising results gaining process knowledge for further optimization. NMR spectroscopy appeared as preeminent online analytical method and allows using a modular data analysis approach, which can even serve as reliable reference method for further calibration-dependent PAT applications (e.g., NIR or Raman spectroscopy). Based on experiences from earlier field studies an improved field enclosure setup was developed and built, including the option of a secondary analytical method (e.g., optical spectroscopy). Integrated control systems allow for a flexible implementation based on the available automation infrastructure at the chemical plant or pilot plant setup. In the future, modular interconnecting “smart” PAT systems and process equipment have the potential speed up the setup of production equipment for chemicals and pharmaceuticals and therefore help to reduce the time-to-market. T2 - ANAKON 2025 CY - Leipzig, Germany DA - 10.03.2025 KW - NMR Spectroscopy KW - Process Analytical Technology KW - Field Integration KW - Benchtop-NMR PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62744 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bruno, Francesco A1 - Fiorucci, Letizia A1 - Vignoli, Alessia A1 - Meyer, Klas A1 - Maiwald, Michael A1 - Ravera, Enrico T1 - pyIHM: Indirect Hard Modeling, in Python N2 - NMR is a powerful analytical technique that combines an exquisite qualitative power, related to the unicity of the spectra of each molecule in a mixture, with an intrinsic quantitativeness, related to the fact that the integral of each peak only depends on the number of nuclei (i.e., the amount of substance times the number of equivalent nuclei in the signal), regardless of the molecule. Signal integration is the most common approach in quantitative NMR but has several drawbacks (vide infra). An alternative is to use hard modeling of the peaks. In this paper, we present pyIHM, a Python package for the quantification of the components of NMR spectra through indirect hard modeling, and we discuss some numerical details of the implementation that make this approach robust and reliable. KW - Algorithms KW - Chemical Structure KW - Deconvolution KW - Mixtures KW - NMR spectroscopy PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626793 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c06484 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 97 IS - 8 SP - 4598 EP - 4605 PB - ACS Publications CY - Washington D.C. AN - OPUS4-62679 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meyer, Klas T1 - Deconvolution in High-Field- and Benchtop-NMR applications N2 - Numerical "sum integration" is the typical way to extract signal area from NMR spectra for quantitative evaluation, however, in complex situations of peak overlaps or crowded spectra this can be impractical. Deconvolution methods based on linefitting and optimization allow for a more accurate extraction of signal features from the spectrum in these cases. The increasing number of benchtop NMR applications showing lower signal dispersion and therefore more often complex spectral patterns foster the development and application of model-based spectra evaluation methods. This includes techniques like Indirect Hard Modeling (IHM), Quantum-Mechanical Spectra Analysis (QMSA), Chemometric modeling like PLS-R or MCR, as well as Machine-learning approaches using Neural Networks. This presentation gives an overview and introduction into deconvolution methods in the context of high-field and benchtop-NMR applications in complex spectra and process monitoring. T2 - CCQM OAWG/PAWG Advances in qNMR Workshop CY - Sèvres, France DA - 08.04.2025 KW - NMR Spectroscopy KW - Process Analytical Technology KW - Deconvolution KW - Benchtop-NMR PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62956 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meyer, Klas T1 - Process Monitoring with Compact NMR spectroscopy: Applications from Lab to Field N2 - The use of compact NMR instruments based on permanent magnets has been increasing in recent years. Their affordability, portability, and ease of operation without the need for trained staff make them particularly interesting for quality control application in industrial production. Recent developments by instrument manufacturers, such as multi-nuclei options or extended interfacing, have made these systems even more versatile. However, the application of NMR spectroscopy as an online PAT tool remains rare, despite its significant potential for process optimization and control. A key challenge in exploiting this potential is the integration of lab instruments into the harsh environment of a chemical plant. Additionally, advancements in automation and data evaluation are key tasks to ensure robust, unattended operation with minimal maintenance requirements. In this presentation, we showcase examples of using NMR spectroscopy for process monitoring at the lab scale, the development of open-source software tools for NMR data evaluation (PyIHM, within the Python package KLASSEZ), and a successful example of field integration, running an automated laboratory instrument in the environment of a industrial production plant. T2 - Quantitative NMR Methods for Reaction and Process Monitoring (NMRPM) CY - Kaiserslautern, Germany DA - 31.03.2025 KW - Compact NMR spectroscopy KW - Process Monitoring KW - Downstream processing KW - Indirect Hard Modeling KW - Field integration PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62850 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Golub, Tino Petar A1 - Meyer, Klas A1 - Paul, Andrea A1 - Kipphardt, Heinrich A1 - Tuma, Dirk T1 - Exploring the potential of a setup for combined quantification of hydrogen in natural gas – Raman and NMR spectroscopy N2 - An accurate measurement of the amount fraction of hydrogen in gas mixtures is mandatory for practical applications, requiring methods that are fast, continuous, robust, and cost-effective. This study compares the performance of Raman and benchtop NMR process spectroscopy for determining the hydrogen amount fraction in gas mixtures. A setup was designed to integrate both techniques, enabling measurements of the same sample. Tests were conducted with gravimetrically prepared gas mixtures of reference quality ranging from 1.20 cmol/mol to 85.83 cmol/mol of hydrogen. The results demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy provides superior performance, with a minimal root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.22 cmol/mol and excellent linearity. In contrast, benchtop NMR spectroscopy faced challenges, such as overlapping peaks and longer measurement times, resulting in a higher RMSE of 0.71 cmol/mol. Raman spectroscopy proves to be particularly well-suited for practical applications due to its high accuracy and linearity. Meanwhile, benchtop NMR spectroscopy holds potential for future enhancements through ongoing technological advances, such as higher magnetic field strengths. In summary, the results from our study indicate that Raman spectroscopy is already a serviceable method for precise hydrogen quantification, whereas benchtop NMR spectroscopy can be attributed potential for future applications. KW - Hydrogen amount fraction KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - NMR spectroscopy KW - Field applicability PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-610093 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2024.125087 SN - 1386-1425 VL - 325 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-61009 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thiele, Isabel A1 - Weiske, Björn A1 - Riedel, Sebastian L. A1 - Meyer, Klas T1 - On-line monitoring of polyhydroxyalkanoate extraction by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy N2 - The use of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy enables real-time reaction monitoring in contrast to time-consuming gas chromatography or off-line high-field NMR measurements. In this study, NMR spectroscopy is demonstrated as a novel process analytical technology (PAT) tool in the downstream processing of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers. On-line NMR spectroscopy measurements were performed using a Spinsolve 43 Carbon Ultra instrument in a fully automated mode with a flow-assembly based on PTFE tubing. Single-scan NMR spectra were acquired for real-time monitoring of the extraction process of the PHA copolymer poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) with 13.5 mol.% hydroxyhexanoate [P(HB-co-13.5 mol.%HHx)] from Ralstonia eutropha biomass using chloroform or acetone as PHA solvents at lyophilized cell loadings of 20–120 g L􀀀 1. The reproducibility and reliability of low-field NMR spectroscopy was comparable to high-field NMR spectroscopy, with superior performance in terms of time. The correlation between the results of on-line monitoring using low-field NMR spectroscopy and off-line analysis using gas chromatography (GC) showed a correlation coefficient of >94 %. The versatility of low-field NMR spectroscopy for elucidating reaction kinetics, facilitating endpoint determination and accelerating extraction processes by maximizing solubility is highlighted as plateau values were reached within 6–10 min for chloroform and acetone, respectively. This novel low-field NMR spectroscopy application promotes a new monitoring approach for downstream PHA processing and supports process development and optimization. KW - Polyhydroxyalkanoate KW - Extraction KW - NMR KW - Ralstonia eutropha KW - Downstream processing PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-624215 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111188 SN - 1873-2321 VL - 233 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-62421 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meyer, Klas T1 - NMR Spectroscopy as a PAT tool: Field integration of a laboratory instrument N2 - Companies of chemical industry find themselves more often in a rapidly changing environment, e.g., due to variability of raw material quality or energy costs and efficiency. Process optimization and new process concepts become more and more important. Flexible and modular chemical plants can produce various high-quality products using multi-purpose equipment with short downtimes between campaigns and reduce time to market for new products. Intensified continuous production plants allow for difficult to produce compounds like exothermic reactions with high heat dissipation. Highly automated chemical process monitoring along with real-time quality control are prerequisites to such concepts and, thus, should be based on chemical information. A commercially available benchtop NMR spectrometer was integrated to the full requirements of an automated chemical production environment such as explosion safety, field communication, and robust evaluation of sensor data. Field studies in modular and conventional production plant setups show promising results gaining process knowledge for further optimization. NMR spectroscopy appeared as preeminent online analytical method and allows using a modular data analysis approach, which can even serve as reliable reference method for further calibration-dependent PAT applications (e.g., NIR or Raman spectroscopy). Based on experiences from earlier field studies an improved field enclosure setup was developed and built, including the option of a secondary analytical method (e.g., optical spectroscopy). Integrated control systems allow for a flexible implementation based on the available automation infrastructure at the chemical plant or pilot plant setup. In the future, modular interconnecting “smart” PAT systems and process equipment have the potential speed up the setup of production equipment for chemicals and pharmaceuticals and therefore help to reduce the time-to-market. T2 - Practical Applications of NMR in Industry Conference (PANIC) CY - Rockville, MD, USA DA - 19.05.2025 KW - Compact NMR spectroscopy KW - Process Analytical Technology KW - Field Integration KW - qNMR PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63193 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meyer, Klas T1 - On-line monitoring of polyhydroxyalkanoate extraction process using compact NMR spectroscopy N2 - Portable benchtop NMR spectrometers enable real-time process and reaction monitoring in contrast to conventional laboratory based off-line gas chromatography or high-field NMR measurements. In this study, benchtop NMR spectroscopy is demonstrated as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool for the application of the solvent extraction step in downstream processing of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers. These are one of the few thermoplastic polymers synthesized 100 % via biotechnological routes which fully biodegrade in common natural environments. This makes them excellent candidate materials for sustainable replacement of conventional plastic materials. Online NMR experiments were conducted using a fully automated setup, employing commercially available PTFE tubing as a flow-cell assembly. Extraction was carried out in a thermostated stirred batch reactor in lab-scale. Single-scan NMR spectra allowed continuous monitoring of the extraction of the PHA copolymer poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) containing 13.5 mol-% hydroxyhexanoate from Ralstonia eutropha biomass. Extractions were performed in chloroform and acetone across lyophilized cell loadings ranging from 20 to 120 g/L. The reproducibility and reliability of compact NMR spectroscopy closely matched that of parallel high-field NMR measurements. A strong correlation was observed between online low-field NMR data and offline gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The study highlights the versatility of compact NMR for process monitoring, facilitating endpoint determination and enhancing extraction efficiency by optimizing process parameters. Steady-state conditions were achieved within 6 to 10 minutes for chloroform and acetone, respectively, underscoring the method’s value in supporting downstream process development and optimization for PHA recovery. T2 - qNMR Summit Europe 2025 CY - Bari, Italy DA - 19.11.2025 KW - NMR Spectroscopy KW - Extraction KW - Downstream processing KW - Benchtop-NMR PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64920 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meyer, Klas T1 - On-line monitoring of polyhydroxyalkanoate extraction process using compact NMR spectroscopy N2 - Portable benchtop NMR spectrometers enable real-time process and reaction monitoring in contrast to conventional laboratory based off-line gas chromatography or high-field NMR measurements. In this study, benchtop NMR spectroscopy is demonstrated as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool for the application of the solvent extraction step in downstream processing of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers. These are one of the few thermoplastic polymers synthesized 100 % via biotechnological routes which fully biodegrade in common natural environments. This makes them excellent candidate materials for sustainable replacement of conventional plastic materials. Online NMR experiments were conducted using a fully automated setup, employing commercially available PTFE tubing as a flow-cell assembly. Extraction was carried out in a thermostated stirred batch reactor in lab-scale. Single-scan NMR spectra allowed continuous monitoring of the extraction of the PHA copolymer poly-(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) containing 13.5 mol-% hydroxyhexanoate from Ralstonia eutropha biomass. Extractions were performed in chloroform and acetone across ground lyophilized cell loadings ranging from 20 to 120 g/L. The reproducibility and reliability of compact NMR spectroscopy closely matched with high-field NMR measurements. A strong correlation was observed between online low-field NMR data and offline gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The study highlights the versatility of compact NMR for process monitoring, facilitating endpoint determination and enhancing extraction efficiency by optimizing process parameters. Steady-state conditions were achieved within 6 to 10 minutes for chloroform and acetone, respectively, underscoring the method’s value in supporting downstream process development and optimization for PHA recovery. T2 - 20. Herbstkolloquium Arbeitskreis Prozessanalytik CY - Frankfurt am Main, Germany DA - 03.12.2025 KW - Polyhydroxyalkanoate KW - Process Analytical Technology KW - Downstream processing KW - Benchtop-NMR PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65065 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thiele, Isabel A1 - Santolin, Lara A1 - Meyer, Klas A1 - Machatschek, Rainhard A1 - Bölz, Uwe A1 - Tarazona, Natalia A. A1 - Riedel, Sebastian L. T1 - Microbially synthesized poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) with low to moderate hydroxyhexanoate content: Properties and applications N2 - Plastic pollution is the biggest environmental concern of our time. Breakdown products like micro- and nanoplastics inevitably enter the food chain and pose unprecedented health risks. In this scenario, bio-based and biodegradable plastic alternatives have been given a momentum aiming to bridge a transition towards a more sustainable future. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are one of the few thermoplastic polymers synthesized 100 % via biotechnological routes which fully biodegrade in common natural environments. Poly(hydroxybutyrate-cohydroxyhexanoate) [P(HB-co-HHx)] is a PHA copolymer with great potential for the commodity polymers industry, as its mechanical properties can be tailored through fine-tuning of its molar HHx content. We have recently developed a strategy that enables for reliable tailoring of the monomer content of P(HB-co-HHx). Nevertheless, there is often a lack of comprehensive investigation of the material properties of PHAs to evaluate whether they actually mimic the functionalities of conventional plastics. We present a detailed study of P(HB-co-HHx) copolymers with low to moderate hydroxyhexanoate content to understand how the HHx monomer content influences the thermal and mechanical properties and to link those to their abiotic degradation. By increasing the HHx fractions in the range of 2 – 14 mol%, we impart an extension of the processing window and application range as the melting temperature (Tm) and glass temperature (Tg) of the copolymers decrease from Tm 165 ◦C to 126 ◦C, Tg 4 ◦C to − 5.9 ◦C, accompanied by reduced crystallinity from 54 % to 20 %. Elongation at break was increased from 5.7 % up to 703 % at 14 mol% HHx content, confirming that the range examined was sufficiently large to obtain ductile and brittle copolymers, while tensile strength was maintained throughout the studied range. Finally, accelerated abiotic degradation was shown to be slowed down with an increasing HHx fraction decreasing from 70 % to 55 % in 12 h. KW - Molecular Biology KW - General Medicine KW - Biochemistry KW - Structural Biology PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-595636 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130188 VL - 263 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-59563 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -