MRI: Upgrade of an EPR Spectrometer to Serve Marquette University and the Greater Milwaukee Region

在主要研究仪器项目（MRI）的奖励和化学研究仪器项目（CRIF）的支持下，来自马凯特大学的Brian Bennett教授和他的同事Richard Holz将升级电子顺磁共振（EPR）光谱仪。此次升级将为研究和教育提供高质量的低温EPR系统，而无需购买新仪器。该设备将允许在各种领域的研究，如那些提供如何与未配对电子的生物相关物种的行为的见解。一般来说，EPR光谱仪产生分子和固态材料的几何和电子结构的详细信息。它还可用于获取自由基的寿命信息，这些自由基是参与有价值的化学转化以及病理性肿瘤生长起始的短命、高活性物质。这些研究将影响许多领域，从无机和有机分子的合成到新型固态材料的开发，再到磁性和生物化合物。从正在进行的研究中获得灵感，该仪器将成为马凯特大学本科生和研究生研究和教学的一个组成部分。此外，调查人员已经从该机构以外的地区确定了大量感兴趣的用户。例如，威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校、麦迪逊分校和帕克赛德分校，以及圣莫里斯学院、密尔沃基工程学院和康考迪亚大学的主要用户。该奖项旨在加强各级的研究和教育，特别是在以下领域：(a)进行腈水合酶的机理研究；(b)研究金属酶活性中心的结构和功能模型；(c)研究无机超分子和材料化学；(d)研究氮循环酶；(e) Hig1和oxa1p组装和调节Cyt c氧化酶；(f)研究碳正离子和非共价卤素的相互作用。

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Professors Brian Bennett and colleague Richard Holz from Marquette University will upgrade of an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer. This upgrade will provide a high-quality cryogenic EPR system for research and education, without the expense of a new instrument. This equipment will allow research in a variety of fields such as those that provide insight on how biologically relevant species with unpaired electrons behave. In general, an EPR spectrometer yields detailed information on the geometric and electronic structure of molecular and solid state materials. It may also be used to obtain information about the lifetimes of free radicals, short-lived, highly reactive species involved in valuable chemical transformations as well as the initiation of pathological tumor growth. These studies will impact a number of areas, from the synthesis of inorganic and organic molecules to the development of new solid state materials to compounds of magnetic and biological interest. Employing examples inspired from ongoing research, this instrument will be an integral part of research and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Marquette. Additionally, the investigators have identified a significant number of interested users from the area outside of this institution. Examples are major users from the Universities of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Madison and Parkside as well as St Maurice College, Milwaukee School of Engineering and Concordia University.The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) carrying out mechanistic studies on nitrile hydratase; (b) studying structural and functional models for metalloenzyme active centers; (c) studying inorganic supramolecular and materials chemistry; (d) studying nitrogen-cycle enzymes; (e) assembling and regulating of Cyt c oxidase by Hig1 and oxa1p; and (f) investigating carbenes, carbocations and non-covalent halogen interactions.