EPR NRF Core Equipment Bid

电子顺磁共振(EPR)谱，也被称为电子自旋共振(ESR)，可能是表征顺磁材料(即含有未配对电子的材料)的最强大的技术。未成对的电子引起材料的磁性和电子性质，并经常控制存在时的反应性，因此了解它们的环境和行为是重要的。从生物过程到磁性材料无处不在，因此EPR是物理、化学、材料和生物科学中必不可少的工具。EPSRC资助了EPR的国家研究设施(NRF)，该设施位于曼彻斯特大学(UOM)的光子科学研究所(PSI)，为英国学术界提供获得最先进的实验技术和专业知识的途径。粗略地说，EPR谱有两种方法：连续波(CW)EPR和脉冲EPR，它们提供了互补的信息。脉冲EPR是一种分辨率高得多的技术(允许测量涉及未配对电子的弱得多的相互作用)，还提供了访问时间分辨信息的途径。然而，这样的实验通常非常慢，需要长时间的数据收集以获得可接受的信噪比(例如，由于顺磁浓度低)和/或广泛的实验条件(例如，不同的外加磁场，或实验的时间)。对单个样本的实验持续一周的连续测量是很常见的。因此，EPR NRF目前运行的两个脉冲EPR光谱仪是目前认购最多的仪器。目前，UM有第二个EPR设施，位于曼彻斯特生物技术研究所(MIB)，其中有一台脉冲光谱仪，于2009年投入使用。在这里，我们建议通过升级MIB光谱仪并将其重新安装到PSI的NRF中来扩展EPR NRF的容量和能力。这次升级和搬迁将以最低的成本将NRF中脉冲EPR的容量提高50%。几乎所有的脉冲EPR都需要在低温下进行，需要液氦冷却。氦是一种昂贵而有限的资源。该提案的第二部分是在升级后的仪器上安装一个闭合系统的无低温恒温器，允许连续测量到2K的基本温度，这比我们目前在X波段所能达到的要低，这将使我们能够研究更广泛的材料。它还将几乎完全消除NRF中对液氦的需求。新的全套光谱仪系统将为NRF的所有用户(包括ECR和博士生)增加脉冲EPR的容量，新功能将扩大用户基础。最后，新的工具包将使我们能够扩大我们的定期培训研讨会，因为与会者人数受到光谱仪访问的限制。要联系国家EPR设施和服务，请发送电子邮件：epr@manchester.ac.uk

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, also known as Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), is possibly the most powerful technique for characterisation of paramagnetic materials, i.e. that contain unpaired electrons. Unpaired electrons give rise to the magnetic and electronic properties of materials and often govern reactivity when present, hence understanding their environment and behaviour is important. Paramagnets are ubiquitous from biological processes to magnetic materials; hence EPR is an essential tool in physics, chemistry, materials and biological sciences.The EPSRC funds a National Research Facility (NRF) for EPR, located in the Photon Science Institute (PSI) at The University of Manchester (UoM), providing access to state-of-the art experimental techniques and expertise for the UK academic community. Crudely, there are two ways to do EPR spectroscopy: continuous wave (cw) EPR and pulsed EPR, which give complementary information. Pulsed EPR is a much higher resolution technique (allowing measurement of much weaker interactions involving the unpaired electron) and also gives access to time-resolved information. However, such experiments are often very slow, requiring long data collection to get acceptable signal-to-noise (e.g. due to low paramagnet concentration) and/or a wide range of experimental conditions (e.g. different applied magnetic fields, or timings of the experiment). It is common for an experiment on a single sample to last a week of continuous measurement. As a consequence, the two pulsed EPR spectrometers that the EPR NRF currently runs are by far and away the most over-subscribed pieces of instrumentation.There is currently a second EPR facility at the UoM, based in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), which houses a pulsed spectrometer that was commissioned in 2009. Here we are proposing to expand the capacity and capability of the EPR NRF by upgrading the MIB spectrometer and relocating and incorporating it into the NRF in the PSI. This upgrade and relocation will enhance the capacity for pulsed EPR in the NRF by 50% at minimal cost. Almost all pulsed EPR needs to be performed at low temperatures, requiring liquid helium cooling. Helium is an expensive and finite resource. The second part of the proposal is to install a closed-system cryogen-free cryostat to the upgraded instrument, allowing continuous measurement down to a base temperature of <2 K. This is lower than we can currently reach at X-band, which will enable study of a wider range of materials. It will also almost entirely remove the need for liquid helium in the NRF. The new complete spectrometer system will increase the capacity for pulsed EPR for all users of the NRF across the UK, including ECRs and doctoral students, and the new capability will widen the user base. Finally, the new kit will enable us to expand our regular training workshops because attendee numbers are limited by spectrometer access.To contact the National EPR Facility and Service, please email: epr@manchester.ac.uk