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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S94896/01
Title: Optically detected low-field EPR
Principal Investigator: Hore, Professor PJ
Other Investigators:
Timmel, Professor CR
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Oxford Chemistry
Organisation: University of Oxford
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 April 2004 Ends: 31 March 2007 Value (£): 154,567
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Analytical Science Gas & Solution Phase Reactions
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Free radicals - highly_ reactive short-lived molecular fragments containing a single unpaired electron - are usually created in pairs in a well-defined electronic state, either singlet (antiparallel electron spins) or triplet (parallel spins). The yields of radical pair reaction products can be modulated by applying an external static magnetic field because (a) the coherent interconversion of the singlet and triplet states is controlled entirely by magnetic interactions and (b) the electron spin correlation determines the chemical fate of the pair (e.g. geminate recombination is usually-only-possible for the singlet state).With EPSRC funding (GR/M11332/01), we have recently built the first state-of-the-art optically detected zero field EPR spectrometer. based on the principle that radical pair reactions are also sensitive to weak radiofrequency fields, and have used it to study a variety of photo-induced electron transfer reactions.We propose to improve the sensitivity and information content of this technique by applying, in addition to the weak radiofrequency field, a weak static magnetic field. The resulting increase in signal strength (observed in preliminary experiments) will allow a wider range of chemical reactions to be investigated in greater detail. In addition, the sensitivity of radical recombination reactions to the polarization of the radiofrequency field will be explored and exploited. These studies will also afford a more complete understanding of the effects of weak fields, comparable in intensity to the Earth's magnetic field, on chemical reactions. In parallel, the theory of such magnetic field effects will be developed to allow detailed simulation and interpretation of experimental spectra.
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Organisation Website: http://www.ox.ac.uk