Proposals

Abstract

We are requesting funds to purchase a benchtop electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer for use by students and researchers across a variety of UW departments. The new spectrometer will fill a gap currently experienced by students for an EPR spectrometer that is fast to use and does not require expertise that would normally inhibit student researchers. This instrument will be an integral part of improving UW’s commitment to cutting edge research and accessibility of instruments to the student body. The benchtop EPR spectrometer will give UW students unique access to instrumentation that is usually only available for highly specialized researchers and will make the University of Washington stand out amongst its peer universities, many of which do not have the capability to allow undergraduates and non-specialized graduate students to investigate important questions using EPR. EPR is a technique that is able to probe systems that have an unpaired electron and collect a unique structural fingerprint of the molecule. This is used to characterize complex molecules and has broad applications in many fields of study from improving the next generation of solar cells, boosting the storage and efficiency of batteries, understanding disease mechanisms, to investigating quantum computing. The new availability of benchtop EPR spectrometers has extended the use of EPR in industry. Providing access to these instruments at the university level will give UW graduates a competitive advantage in industry. Furthermore, this instrument will bring EPR to more researchers throughout many departments at UW, bolstering UW’s status as a world-class research institution.