An EPR Spectrometer for Innovative Advanced Laboratory Instruction

本项目为购买电子顺磁谱仪（EPR）及其在本科化学教学中的应用。本项目主要实现以下目标：(1)加强化学实验课程的本科教学，并促进它们之间的联系；(2)从当前的科学研究问题出发，开发新颖的探究性教学实验；(3)促进本科生作为重要的团队成员参与化学学科内外的前沿研究。（iv）扩大当地小学科学教师社区外展计划的能力。EPR光谱仪是本项目的核心，目前正用于本科高级无机、有机、生物化学和物理化学实验课程。EPR光谱学通过促进这些课程之间的联系（例如，过渡金属配合物的合成和性质）以及化学和其他科学（如生物学）之间的接口（例如，金属蛋白质的性质和生物学相关过程的研究），是促进整合水平的极好工具。EPR方法也被用于向普通化学学生有意义地说明分子内电子离域的概念。许多新颖的研究性探究性教学实验都是广大教师直接参与的结果。此外，这个EPR光谱仪是一个“本科生拥有”的研究工具，它鼓励本科生进一步参与以EPR作为共同交叉实验技术的跨学科研究项目的多样性。这些是该项目的关键智力优点。新开发的教学实验通过化学教育文献的出版物进行传播。该仪器还用于当地小学科学教师的动手继续教育课程。本课程旨在提高科学素养，EPR是研究与日常生活相关的自由基和抗氧化化合物的关键。

Chemistry (12)This project entails the purchase of an electron paramagnetic (EPR) spectrometer and its use in undergraduate chemical education. This project is accomplishing the following objectives: (i) enhancing the undergraduate teaching curriculum in individual chemistry-laboratory courses as well as fostering connections between them, (ii) developing novel inquiry-based teaching experiments derived from current scientific research problems, (iii) promoting the participation of undergraduate students as valued team members in cutting-edge research within and beyond the chemistry discipline, and (iv) extending the capabilities of a community outreach program for local grade school science teachers.The EPR spectrometer that forms the centerpiece of this project is being used in advanced undergraduate inorganic, organic, biochemistry and physical chemistry laboratory courses. EPR spectroscopy is an excellent vehicle for fostering a level of integration by promoting connections between these courses (e.g., synthesis and properties of transition-metal complexes) and the interfaces between chemistry and other sciences such as biology (e.g., the properties of metallo-proteins and investigation of biologically relevant processes). The EPR method is also being used to meaningfully illustrate the concept of electron delocalization within molecules to general-chemistry students. A number of novel research-related inquiry-based teaching experiments are resulting from direct involvement of a wide range of faculty. Additionally this EPR spectrometer is an "undergraduate student-owned" research tool, which is encouraging further participation of undergraduate students in a diversity of interdisciplinary research projects that have EPR as a common intersecting experimental technique. These are the key intellectual merits of the project.Newly developed teaching experiments are being disseminated via publication in the chemical education literature. The instrument is also used in a hands-on continuing education course for local area grade school science teachers. This course is designed to promote science literacy, and EPR is key to the study of free-radicals and antioxidant compounds relevant to everyday life.