Information for
Quick links
Faculties
Group ESR Spectroscopy
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).
Current theses in the working group of ESR spectroscopy:
High Performance resonators for Room Temperature Masers
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.
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
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
Maxim Neuberger, M.Sc.
PhD student
Geb. B2 2 Raum 0.21
Tel.: +49 681 302 2767
maxim.neuberger(at)uni-saarland.de
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
