MRI: Acquisition of an Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectrometer for Research and Education in Chemistry and Physics

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Luis Echegoyen from the University of Texas El Paso and colleagues Juan Noveron, Michael Eastman, Cristian Botez and Dino Villagran will acquire an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer. The proposal is aimed at enhancing research training and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) synthesis of and sampling the highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) and their derivatives; (b) parallel proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) with dimolybdenum bimetallic units; (c) understanding the electronic structure of Ru2(5+) dimers; (d) coordination chemistry of paramagnetic centers in metal-organic supramolecular nanomaterials; (e) cyanide polymers; and (f) magnetic behavior of metal oxide nanoparticle ensembles.EPR spectrometers detect electrons, more specifically, the energy necessary to excite an electron to a higher quantized energy state. This occurs when the spectrometer provides the energy necessary to flip the spin of an unpaired electron in the presence of an applied magnetic field. This information provides insight into the electronic structure and bonding of the material being studied, which can be utilized to understand its properties and how it might be used or improved. This spectrometer will provide faculty and research students with modern instrumentation not currently available at the institution advancing their research projects significantly. It will be used in an undergraduate laboratory course providing training in this analytical technique to large numbers of Hispanic-American students at an institution with a 78% undergraduate student body of Hispanic origin.