With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation program (CRIF:MU), Professors Joseph A. Heppert, Mikhail V. Barybin and Timothy Jackson from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kansas will acquire an Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectrometer. The instrument will be used to support research activities such: 1) characterization of manganese complexes involved in environmentally-friendly oxidation reactions; (2) azulene-based organometallics as platforms for molecular charge transport systems; (3) design of metal- and anion-binding supramolecular scaffolds; (4) characterization of heme and non-heme iron proteins involved in heme and iron sequestration in bacteria; (5) de novo design of heme proteins; and (6) identification of reactive oxygen species involved in the regulation of hypoxia inducible factors. In addition, the spectrometer will be available to researchers at other universities such as Kansas State, Wichita State, Emporia State, Northeastern State, and Prairie View A&M University.
An EPR spectrometer yields detailed information of the geometric and electronic structure of molecular and solid state materials. It may also be used to obtain information about the lifetimes of free radicals, short-lived, highly reactive species involved in valuable chemical transformations as well as the initiation of pathological tumor growth. These studies will impact a number of areas, from the synthesis of organic molecules to the development of new solid state materials to the imaging of biological tissues. Employing examples inspired from ongoing research, this instrument will be an integral part of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Kansas and collaborating universities.
Paramagnetic molecules (which have unpaired electrons and thus unique magnetic properties) play important roles in a variety of disciplines, including chemistry, biology, materials science, and chemical engineering. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique is one of the premier methods for detecting and characterizing paramagnetic molecules. This proposal funded the acquisition and installation of an EPR spectrum at the University of Kansas (KU). The installation of this equipment filled a key gap in infrastructure not only at KU but also in the greater region. The capabilities of the EPR instrument has augmented on-going research projects and enabled new research endeavors at KU and nearby Colleges and Universities. Specifically, this instrument has impacted research projects in the broad areas of i) environmentally beneficial catalysis (the development of new biologically-inspired catalysts and the development of new methods for efficient biomass processing), ii) materials chemistry (the development of new optical-electronic devices and solar cells), iii) biological chemistry (the development of metalloenzyme mimics and an understanding of oxidative stress in biology), and iv) coordination chemistry (the characterization of new paramagnetic molecules investigated for their unique catalytic and/or structural properties). In addition to the positive impact the installed EPR spectrometer has had on research at KU and the region, it has also provided training and pedagogical opportunities at the graduate and undergraduate level. Numerous graduate and post-doctoral scholars have been trained in the operation of the EPR instrument, which has positively impacted their research (e.g., dissertation) projects. In addition, formal seminars on the theory of EPR spectroscopy provided students with fundamental and practical knowledge regarding the use of this important technique. The EPR instrument has also been recently incorporated into a laboratory experiment in a senior-level inorganic chemistry course; thus exposing these undergraduate students with state-of-the-art instrumentation for chemical research.
