The EPSRC National EPR/ENDOR Service is based across the Universities of Manchester, St Andrews and Cardiff. Manchester (Chemistry Department) provides facilities for CW EPR at L (ca. 1), S (4), X (9), K (24) and Q-bands (34 GHz) at ELECTRON SPIN temperatures between 4 and 300 K at all frequencies, and up to 700 K at X-band. X- and Q-band CW ENDOR facilities are available at Cardiff. St Andrews (Physics and RESONANCE RRSSxxCC Astronomy Department) offer CW EPR at 90, 180 and 270 GHz. The Service is available ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY to all academic researchers eligible for EPSRC funding, and is free at "point of sale". GROUP Workers in the areas of biological, pharmaceutical or materials science are welcomed. Research collaborations with international, industrial or institutional organisations are possible. Anyone interested in using the Service should contact: Dr David Collison Newsletter ([email protected]) or Dr Eric McInnes ([email protected]), Dr Graham March 2003 Smith (St Andrews, [email protected]), or Dr Damien Murphy (Cardiff, [email protected]) in the first instance. Eric McInnes

ESR GROUP COMMITTEE. SpinDrift from John Walton (83 papers) with applications to protein Dr Mark E. Newton, Department of In its early years ESR spectroscopy was dynamics, membrane-peptide The ESR Group committee was elected at Chemistry, University of Warwick Dr Graham Smith, School of Physics, one of the key reference points for testing interactions, muscle fibers and the AGM held in Aberdeen on 10th April QM theory. The classic INDO semi- carbohydrates. ESR has penetrated into 2002 and has the following members: University of St. Andrews Dr , Department of empirical MO method related areas as diverse as spin mapping in Chair Chemistry, Edinburgh University experimental data to predictions from organic conductors, analysis of spectra John C. Walton, School of quantum mechanics. Modern ab initio with large quadrupole couplings, gut Chemistry, University of St. Andrews Membership of the ESR Group currently DFT theory, with sophisticated basis sets, fluids of caterpillars, dating of hominid stands at about 100. All scientists who are enables isotropic and anisotropic sites in Southern China and dose rates in Secretary/Treasurer members of the Royal Society of hyperfine interactions to be computed tooth enamels. This is rather vivid Dr Damien M. Murphy, Department of Chemistry, and have an interest in with an accuracy undreamed of a few evidence of the robust adaptability of the Chemistry, Cardiff University ESR/EPR spectroscopy, are invited and years ago. However, a major trend in the technique to 21st. century demands. Conference Organisers urged to tick the ESR Group box on their last few years has been away from theory The 35th ESR Group Meeting took place Drs Eric McInnes and David Collinson, membership renewal forms. The cost is and towards the application of ESR last April amidst the baronial splendour of Department of Chemistry , University of only £2 per annum! Membership carries techniques to probing natural phenomena Aberdeen University’s King’s College Manchester entitlement to reduced registration fees at and solving problems in biology, Conference Centre. ESR depends critically ESR Group annual conferences. chemistry, catalysis and related branches on a combination of electric and magnetic Ordinary Members of science. ESR and its sibling techniques Dr Shirley A. Fairhurst, John Innes Centre, Website fields. It was most appropriate therefore that are becoming integrated with large ESR should "come home" to the place where Norwich http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/esr/Group/ Dr Simon K. Jackson, Dept. Medical projects bringing a whole armoury of James Clerk Maxwell, the father of modern homepage.html analytical instrumentation to the most electro-magnetic theory, worked for many Microbiology , University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff challenging projects in a holistic fashion. years. The global importance of ESR was Dr Chris W. M. Kay, Institut für More than 1500 papers on ESR illustrated by the large range of nationalities Experimentalphysik, Free University of appeared in 2002-03. Many of these were and disciplines represented amongst the 110 participants. The quality of the scientific Berlin, Germany Newsletter orthodox studies in well trodden areas Dr Paul J. Krusic, DuPont, Wilmington, edited by programme matched the senatorial character such as polymerisation, oxidative stress, of the conference lecture facilities. The Delaware, USA John spin trapping or TM complex Dr David J. Lowe, John Innes Centre, Walton programme commenced with a fine lecture on characterisation. Notable growth was Imaging of Free Radicals In Vivo Using Norwich registered in the area of spin labelling Overhauser Techniques by [cont. over] Hypotheses are nets: only he who casts will catch” Novalis “Optimism is the oxygen of innovation and the ozone of discovery” – Anon 35th ESR Group Meeting (cont.) David H Whiffen, pioneer ESR 26th International EPR Symposium at 45th Rocky Mountain Conference on Analytical Aberdeen's David Lurie. Plenary lectures by spectroscopist died in December 2002. Chemistry, July 27-August 31, 2003, Denver, Colorado, USA. Jay Sweier (John Hopkins), Karsten Mäder (Hoffmann-LaRoche, Basel), Bernard His research career began at Oxford in 1943 8th International Symposium on Spin and Magnetic Field Effects in Chemistry and Related Goodman (Scottish Crop Research Institute), where he worked on IR and microwave Phenomena (SCM2003), will take place in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, September 21-26, Ronald Mason (NIEH), David Collison radiation with Sir Harold W. Thompson. 2003. Details at: www.chem.unc.edu/conferences/SCM2003. (Manchester), Angelo Alberti (Bologna), Moving to Birmingham in 1949 he continued Thomas Prisner (JW Goethe University) were work with IR but became interested in free The Asia-Pacific EPR/ESR Symposium 2003 (APES03), November 17-20 at the Indian balanced by shorter talks covering many new radicals. He constructed an early ESR Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. Contact Prof. S.V. Bhat, Department of Physics, Indian applications and techniques. The keynote spectrometer and carried out world-leading institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India. Details at: http://physics.iisc.ernet.in/~apes03 Bruker Lecture was given jointly by Gareth experimental and theoretical work on glycine and Sandra Eaton (Denver) on the general and other radicals trapped in crystals. At John 9th International Symposium on Organic Free Radicals to be held June11th to 16th, 2004, in theme of interaction of electron spins. The Jeol Pople's invitation he moved to the National Porto Vecchio, Corsica (France). http://www.isofr9.com session, where three PG students gave Physical Laboratory in 1958 and over the next showcase lectures in competition for the Jeol few years published many seminal papers on student prize, was another highlight. EPR and ENDOR spectra of inorganic ions and LAUNCH OF ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY Congratulations to Anna Ferretti (Milano) the organic free radicals at 9 and 35 GHz. He was eventual winner. Bernard Goodman's dictum elected FRS in 1966. Whiffen became For many decades Perkin Transactions 2 served the world community of physical organic that "the only place for 'spin' in science should Professor of Physical Chemistry at Newcastle as the premier journal for dissemination of their major advances. Irresistible winds be in the context of magnetic resonance" in 1968 eventually rising to Pro-Vice- of change blew through the RSC in 2002 and snuffed out publication. May this treasury of received vigorous endorsement throughout this Chancellor. He will be remembered for, among top quality science rest in peace!! Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry was launched in outstanding conference. other attributes, his brilliant and insightful January 2003 as the successor to Perkin 1 & 2. The new journal is edited by Ben Feringa, of mind. Groningen University, whose main research interests centre in organic synthesis and

stereochemistry. OBC will have broad scope including established areas, outstanding achievements in Organic Chemistry as well as the interface with Biology, Medicine and THANKS The RSC ESR Group thanks Dr David Lurie, head of the Free Radicals Imaging Materials Science. OBC is lavish in its use of colour. We wish OBC every success in its Group at Aberdeen University, for his admirable work as local organiser of the 35th Group Meeting quest for comprehensive excellence. at Aberdeen. QUIZ CONGRATULATIONS

To Professor Wolfgang Lubitz of the Max Plank Institute for Radiation Chemistry at Mülheim an The 9 GHz EPR spectrum der Ruhr on the award of the Bruker Prize 2003 by the Royal Society of Chemistry ESR Group. shown to the left was Recent articles include: Single Crystal EPR Studies of the Reduced Active Site of [NiFe]- CCC C C C obtained on photolysis of a Hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki FS. Foerster, M.; Stein, M.; Brecht, H. ; Ogata, AA A solution of Y.; Higuchi, H. Lubitz, W. , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 83 and Radicals, Radical Pairs and PhCH=NOC(O)C(O)N(Bn) Triplet States in Photosynthesis . Lubitz, W.; Lendzian, F.; Bittl, R. Acc. Chem. Res. 2002, 35, 313. -(CH2)3CH=CH2 and p- methoxybenzophenone in To Stefan Stoll (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Franco Bella (St. Andrews) and Antonio t-butylbenzene at 220 K. Catalan (Cambridge) on their selection as candidates for the JEOL Young Investigator Prizes 2003. Identify the 3 radicals I, A and C. (For the answer see: Chem. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Commun. 2002, 2086.)

37th International Meeting of the RSC ESR Group will take place in April 2004: venue to be announced.

5th Meeting of the European Federation of EPR Groups will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from “Everything has been thought of before, but the problem is to think of it again” J. W. von Goethe Sunday 7th to Thursday 11th September 2003. Details at: http://dequim.ist.utl.pt/EFEPR/