Purchase of an EPR Spectrometer

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of California in Riverside will acquire an Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectrometer. Among the research programs in which EPR spectroscopy will play a vital role are: a) bioinorganic chemistry or iron porphyrins, redox chemistry of fullerenes, metalloporphyrin/fullerene supramolecular chemistry and reactive radical cations across the periodic table (Reed); b) characterization of porphyrin pi-cation radicals in multiporphyrin arrays (Bocian); c) studies on carbon nanotubes and neutral organic conductors (Haddon); d) investigations on the mechanism of manganese catalyzed water oxidation in photosystem II (Debus); e) trapping of fluorocarbonyl radicals (Morton); and f) development of new analytical tools for assessing chirality (Mueller). An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer is an instrument used to obtain information about the molecular and electronic structure of molecules. It may also be used to obtain information about the lifetimes of free radicals which are often essential for the initiation of tumor growth and/or a variety of chemical reactions. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, in particular biological chemistry and materials sciences.