Acquisition of a Q-band (34 GHz) Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectrometer at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

University Of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro NC

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro will upgrade an existing Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectrometer to allow Q-band frequency capabilities. Research projects to benefit from the EPR include studies on a) how oxygen evolves by the manganese cluster within the plant photosystem II; b) the characterization of a radical intermediate in cytochrome; c) electronic interactions in ruthenium-ferrocene species ; and d) examination of the Mo(V) and iron-sulfur EPR signals of rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase in the presence of nitroaromatic compounds. An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer yields information on the molecular and electronic structure of molecules. It may also be used to obtain information about the lifetimes of free radicals, short-lived species that 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, especially biological chemistry.