Folders B.1-B.10: Penicillin. Papers on spectroscopic studies of penicillin and related compounds carried out in Oxford for the Committee for Penicillin Synthesis (CPS) by Richards and H.W. (later Sir Harold) Thompson at the end of the Second World War. Carbon copies.

Folder B.1: 'Infra-red measurements on pencillin and related compounds' by H.W. Thompson and R.E. Richards, 29 January 1945. 3pp.

'Summary of spectroscopic work on penicillin at Oxford' by Thompson and Richards, 27 February 1945. 3pp. First page is headed with ms. inscription 'Secret'.

Folder B.2: 'An infra-red investigation into the structure of penicillin'. 14pp + 1p. First page is headed 'Secret' and in ms. 'RER 17/3/45'. Many ms. additions and corrections.

Folder B.3: 'Infra-red measurements on the structure of penicillin' by Richards and Thompson, 22 March 1945. CPS 442. 17pp.

'Infra-red studies of helvolic acid and its derivatives' by Richards, March 1945. 1p.

Folder B.4: 'Infra-red measurements on the structure of penicillin and related compounds' by Richards and Thompson, 5 May 1945. 12pp.

Folder B.5: 'Infra-red measurements on penicillin and related compounds' by Thompson and Richards, 21 May 1945. CPS 506.

Folder B.6: 'Infra-red measurements on penicillin and related compounds' by Thompson and Richards, 30 May 1945. CPS. 511. 15pp + 9 plates. First page is headed with ms. inscription 'Secret'.

Folder B.7: 'Infra-red studies in penicillin and related compounds. III.' nd. but related in content to Folder B.6.

Folder B.8: 'Spectroscopic measurements on the structure of penicillin carried out in Great Britain 1944-1945' by Thompson. nd. but latest reference April 1946.

This report summarises the work carried out by Thompson and Richards in Oxford, and G.B.B.M. (later Sir Gordon) Sutherland and S.E. Darmon in Cambridge to the end of 1945.

Folder includes carbon of letter from [Thompson] to 'Sir Robert' [Robinson] 1 February 1947, enclosing penicillin reports.

Folder B.9: 'The spectroscopy of polyatomic molecules', abstract of Richards's D.Phil.thesis, nd. but latest reference 1946. 9pp. + 1p. references.

Folder B.10: 'On the intensity of infra-red absorption in carbonyl compounds' by H.C. Longuet-Higgins and Richards, nd. 3pp.

Folder B.11: Clathrates. Contents of a folder so inscribed; Richards's ms. notes, and related publications, 1954.

Folders B.12-B.24: Magnets.

Folders B.12-B.14: 'Magnet correspondence. Contents of a folder so inscribed divided into three for ease of reference; principally correspondence between Richards and Mullard Research Laboratories (B.A. Evans). The correspondence 'relates to the first permanent magnet built by Mullards for me for high resolution NMR. It was the fore-runner of a successful commercial instrument built by Perkin Elmer Ltd.'

Folder B.12: Correspondence, 1954-1955. Includes a little correspondence with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, October 1954 and 'Notes on the CERN nuclear magnetic resonance magnet ... based on a discussion with Dr. J.T. Arnold at CERN on 29/8/55'.

Folder B.13: Correspondence, 1956-1959.

Folder B.14: Correspondence, 1964, 1970, 1976. The 1970 correspondence relates to Richards's gift of a magnet to the Clarendon Laboratory Oxford and the 1976 correspondence to the display of his early NMR magnet in the chemistry galleries of the Science Museum London.

Folders B.15-B.24: Mullard Research Laboratories blueprints.

Folder B.15: 'Nuclear resonance magnet Mk I', 1955.

Folder B.16: 'Nuclear resonance maget Mk II', 1955.

Folder B.17: 'Details of pole piece assembly Mk II', 1955.

Folder B.18: 'Perspective view of magnet and framework (Oxford)', 1955.

Folder B.19: 'General arrangement of adjustable probe carrier', sheet 1 of 2, 1955.

Folder B.20: 'General arrangement of adjustable probe carrier', sheet 2 of 2, 1955.

Folder B.21: 'Table for Oxford University magnet', 1956.

Folder B.22: 'G.A. of locator', 1956.

Folder B.23: Unidentified and undated.

Folder B.24: Miscellaneous material found with blueprints; notes, graphs, recordings etc.