Home > Techniques and equipment > Electronic paramagnetic resonance

Electronic paramagnetic resonance

Electronic Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) provides both chemical (nature and environment of paramagnetic species) and spectrometric information. It can also provide information on the physical or physicochemical properties of compounds: electronic properties of conductors or insulators, magnetic properties, redox properties, etc.

It is a spectroscopic analysis technique for characterizing materials containing unpaired electrons. It is based on the simultaneous application of a magnetic field and a microwave electric field. These fields interact with the sample unpaired electrons to create transitions between energy levels.

These unpaired electrons can be conduction electrons, free radicals in molecular or biological materials, paramagnetic transition metals ions such as Cu(II), Mn(II), V(IV), Fe(III), Cr(III), Cr(V), Co(II), Rh(II), Ni(I), Mo(V), Ti(III) or paramagnetic defects.

Our EPR instrument: Bruker Elexsys E 500

To know the rates and have access to our EPR instrument, please contact us by email:

Collaboration with Graftys on sterilization of dental implants.

Technical specifications

Sample types:

Powder, crystal, gel, thick layer, mass between a few tens of µg and a few tens of mg;
The sample should fit into a tube with an internal diameter of around 2-3 mm under standard conditions.

Available cavities:

X-bands: resonance field around 3350 G for g = 2;
Q bands: resonance field around 12500 G for g = 2.

Sensitivity: under the most favorable conditions, threshold around one part per billion (1 ppb);
Temperature range: between 77 and 400K (liquid nitrogen cryostat);
Measurements can be made under light irradiation, in an electrochemical cell and/or under electrical stress.