1. Team Formation & Registration

Teams are created at the moment of registration, and each must appoint a leader who is a student or a junior researcher without a permanent position. When registering, you will also list all team members and choose a team name, ensuring a clear identity for your group. Please note that registration grants only one member of each team the right to participate in person, while the remaining members are invited to join remotely.

2. Topic

The analytical goals of Magnethon 2025 are twofold: to determine the concentration of (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin and to calculate its degree of substitution (DS).
To achieve these objectives, participants will work with four samples:
– sample A containing only (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin at an unknown concentration;
– sample B containing (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin at an unknown concentration, alongside three reference compounds, namely dimethyl sulfone, fumaric acid, and 3-(trimethylsilyl)propionic-2,2,3,3-d4 acid, sodium salt (TSP-d₄) at known concentration values;
– sample C containing only the three reference standards (dimethyl sulfone, fumaric acid, and TSP-d₄) at known concentration values;
– sample D including the same reference standards dimethyl sulfone, fumaric acid, and TSP-d₄, and mannitol as matrix simulation agent, all at known concentrations.
Participants are tasked with determining the Degree of Substitution (DS) in both Samples A and B by comparing the methyl signals (around 1 ppm) with the glycosidic hydrogen signals (around 5 ppm). They must also determine the concentration of (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin in Samples A and B using their preferred quantification strategy, either the internal standard method using sample B or the external standard method, making use of the additional samples C and D.
Please note that the topic has been slightly modified with respect to the initial version. The attention was shifted from sample preparation to acquisition conditions. In particular, this new version emphasizes the critical role of spectral acquisition parameters in achieving accurate and reproducible results. Participants will be encouraged to make informed choices regarding aspects such as pulse angle, relaxation delay, number of scans, etc. These individual decisions will be part of the scientific discussion during the event, offering a valuable opportunity to explore how methodological differences can influence quantitative NMR outcomes.
All materials and detailed instructions, including sample preparation guidelines and data analysis protocols, will be provided to participants. These resources will help ensure consistency across the three approaches and support teams in successfully quantifying (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin and determining its degree of substitution.

3. Sample delivery

Teams will receive all materials and guidelines by July 31, 2025.

4. Experimentation

Teams will conduct NMR experiments between August 1 and October 31, 2025, then analyze data and submit results. For full instructions and rules, check the guidelines.

5. Sharing and Discussion

Team members will compare results with other participants during the event, held November 17–19, 2025. They can continue refining their results until the end of Magnethon.

6. Award Ceremony

The team whose results are closest to the consensus values—based on a Gaussian curve analysis—will be crowned the winner! And the prize? An advanced automated sample preparation system, giving the champions a cutting-edge tool to elevate their future research!