Group ESR Spec­troscopy

My group uses Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) also known as Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) Spectroscopy to investigate the structure of novel materials and proteins. Our work is unashamedly collaborative and brings together biologists, chemists, materials scientists and physicists.

What is EPR spectroscopy?
EPR spectroscopy is a powerful technique, giving insights into the structure of materials/molecules and proteins. Paramagnetic substances like e.g., unpaired electron spins of radicals, are exposed to a magnetic field to tune the zeeman splitting between the two possible spin states. Subsequently, the resulting energy transitions get probed by microwave (MW) irradiation. Generally, a distinction between two modes of operation is made: Continuous wave (CW) and pulsed MW irradiation.
Both methods incooperate distinct spectral features which can give answers to different structural investigation issues. Our work is widely collaborative and brings together biologists, chemists, materials scientists and physicists.

Available EPR spectrometer:

Bruker Elexsys E580 SuperQ Q-band EPR pulse spectrometer equipped with a closed-cycle He cryostat (3 - 300 K) (resonators: EN 5107D2 Q-Band ENDOR, EN 5107T2)

Bruker Elexsys E580 X-band EPR pulse spectrometer equipped with a closed-cycle He cryostat  (3 - 300 K) (resonators: ER4118MD4 ENDOR, ER4118MD5)

Bruker X-band EMXplus CW spectrometer (resonators: SHQE, ER4123D)

Bruker Magnettech ESR5000

Structural Biology

Combining X-ray crystallography, molecular dynamics and nitroxide spin-labeling EPR spectroscopy to obtain and verify structures of proteins in solution (Ilangovan et al, Cell 2017, Bagneris et al Nature Communications 2013, Webster et al Nucleic Acids Research 2012, Phan et al Nature, 2011, Grohmann et al Journal of the American Chemical Society 2010).
 

Room Temperature MASERs

The MASER (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is the forerunner of the Laser, but is less well know and developed due to technical challenges. Recently, together with colleagues at Imperial College London, we have been developing a MASER based on the lowest excited triplet state of pentacene in p-terphenyl (Salvadori et al, Scientific Reports 2017, Breeze et al, Quantum Information 2017) and NV- centres in diamond that works at room temperature (Breeze et al, Nature 2018).

Research works

Current theses in the working group of ESR spectroscopy:

Halbach Magnet for Masers

High Performance resonators for Room Temperature Masers

Pulse Shaping for EPR

EPR studies on a Ni3 complex

Spin-Traps

Low Temperature Characterization of a Maser

If you are interested in a thesis, please contact the listed supervisor or just drop by. If there is no thesis listed, but you are interested in EPR spectroscopy, we can discuss individual theses.

Completed scientific papers (bachelor and master theses) and doctoral theses are listed below.

PCB Seminar Announcement - SoSe25

We are starting a new seminar series, covering the areas Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB). Our guest speakers coming will report on their current research topics, introducing them from a basic level to allow accessibility for an non-expert audience. 

Our first seminar will already take place next week Tuesday (13.05.) at 16:00 in our ground floor seminar room (B2 2 - 0.06). Attached is a little flyer with all the dates.

We hope many will be able to attend. Looking forward seeing you.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Christoph Zollitsch.

 

Group ESR Spectroscopy

Group Leader

Prof. Dr. Christopher W. M. Kay

Chair und Group Leader of ESR Spectroscopy

Building B2 2 Room 0.24
Tel:  +49 681 302 2213
Fax: +49 681 302  4759
christopher.kay(at)uni-saarland.de

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Team Assistant/Secretary

Petra Theobald

Building B2 2 Room 0.22
Tel:  +49 681 302 2473
Fax: +49 681 302 4759
p.theobald(at)mx.uni-saarland.de

 

 

Scientific Staff

Jonas Bach, M.Sc.

PhD student

Geb. B2 2 Raum 0.21
Tel.: +49 681 302 2741
jonas.bach(at)uni-saarland.de

 

Maxim Neuberger, M.Sc.

PhD student

Geb. B2 2 Raum 0.21
Tel.: +49 681 302 2767
maxim.neuberger(at)uni-saarland.de

 

Dr. Haakon Wiedemann

PhD student

 

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Dr. Christoph Zollitsch

Postdoc
Contact person for the PCB seminars

Geb. B2 2 Raum 0.20
Tel.: +49 681 302 64244
christoph.zollitsch(at)uni-saarland.de

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Dr. Yi Dong

Geb. B2 2
Tel:  +49 681 302 64310
y.dong(at)mx.uni-saarland.de

 

 

Stefan Ruloff, M.Sc.

PhD student
stefan.ruloff(at)uni-saarland.de

 

Student Members

Maximilian Frisch, B.Sc.

Chemistry (Master)

Synthesis

 

Duncan Jakobs

Chemistry (Bachelor)

Support of courses: PC02
Synthesis

 

Wilma Koblé, B.Sc.

Chemistry (Master)

Support of courses: Pre-course
Synthesis

 

Robin Pilger

Lehramt Sek I / II (Chemistry, Biology)

Support of courses: PC02

 

Rafael Puhl

Chemistry (Bachelor)

Synthesis

 

Ruwen Schank, B.Sc.

Chemistry (Master)

Synthesis and EPR spectroscopy

 

Paula Seichter

Lehramt Sek I / II (Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics)

Support of courses: PC02

 

Eva Steuer, B.Sc.

Chemistry (Master)

EPR spectroscopy
Social Media/ Homepage
Support of courses: PCG, Mathe-Vorkurs

 

Alumni

Dr. Daniel Rauber

Dr. Clemens Matt

Dr. Till Biskup

M.Sc. Phillip Jochum

M.Sc. Elias Gießelmann

M.Sc. Mirjam Schröder

M.Sc. Ramona Jost