Compact, Integrated EPR Spectrometer for Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research focuses on the development of a compact, integrated high-field EPR spectrometer for DNP-enhanced solid-state, magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. The spectrometer will allow researchers torecord the EPR spectra and obtain valuable relaxation parameters of the DNP sample under the same conditions under which the DNP experiment is performed. In recent years, DNP has proven to be a robust method to increase signal intensities in NMR experiments in laboratories around the world and substantial progress has been made in adapting DNP for solid-state NMR spectroscopy. However, to understand and optimize the DNP process it is crucial to fully understand the EPR spectrum and relaxation parameters ofthe polarizing agent. Only a few home-built high-field spectrometers are available around the world. Therefore researchers often have to speculate about the EPR characteristics of their DNP sample. We propose to develop a cost-effective EPR spectrome