Tracking Free Radicals in the Environment with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR)

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a technique that detects species that have unpaired electrons. A large number of materials have unpaired electrons, including free radicals, many transition metal ions, and defects in materials. Free radicals are often short-lived, but play crucial roles in significant processes such as photosynthesis, oxidation, catalysis, and polymerization. Consequently, the application of EPR spans one of the widest ranges of any major analytical technique, from molecular research to quality control in fields as diverse as: chemistry, quantum physics, structural biology, materials science, medical research and many more.