In this award, funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor Pingshan Wang of Clemson University and his graduate students will be supported to develop an ultra-sensitive, single-pass electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer for the study of paramagnetic samples in the liquid phase. The instrument will utilize single-pass EPR sensors that exploit interference processes within the devices. The proposed instrument will be sensitive and fast - an order of magnitude better than current X-band spectrometers.
EPR spectrometers are essential and powerful analytical tools for chemical studies. They may be used to detect the presence of electron spin in sample materials. Besides revealing the presence of unpaired electron spin (as in the case of reactive chemical species) the EPR spectra reveal unique details about the chemical environment, which help in understanding the molecular milieu around "spin labels". A key component of this research program is its educational objectives, which involve a number of students (from graduate school down to high school) who are engaged in scientific research. The instrument design that is developed through this research will be disseminated broadly through a website at Clemson University, as well as through The National Biomedical Research Center for AdvanCed ESR Technology (ACERT) at Cornell University.
