Product News: AffirmoEX: EMR System Launched in Europe

Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance is launching an important addition to its range of benchtop instrumentation at analytica 2012 in Munich. With applications in the foods sector, the AffirmoEX Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR) system is a natural complement to Oxford Instruments’ well-established MQC nuclear magnetic resonance systems. It will also provide the ideal solution to the academic market place where the EMR technique has become under-used due to the obsolescence of existing instrumentation, and the (until now) prohibitively high cost of buying a new instrument.

Having successfully launched this important addition to its range of benchtop instrumentation at Pittcon 2012 in Orlando, Oxford Instruments' Product Marketing Manager, John Paul Cerroti, commented: "The biannual Analytica meeting is Europe's premier instrumentation show and is the natural venue to attract many key decision makers." Continuing, he said "we are delighted at the enthusiastic response to the introduction of the AffirmoEX at Pittcon. It is clear that benchtop EMR has an important role to play in giving our customers better insight into their products and processes."

A number of academics visited Oxford Instruments' Pittcon booth and their reaction indicated that the capabilities of the AffirmoEX and its positioning for the teaching environment are spot on. There was plenty of excitement at the possibilities of re-introducing electron magnetic resonance to the undergraduate chemistry curriculum.

The AffirmoEX is an affordable system occupying minimal bench space, and does not require the large magnets and cooling systems needed by older style systems. It is offered with a curriculum package for teaching professionals to bring the technique back into the laboratories of the 21st century with a modular program backed with online and written documentation.

Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR), also known as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and as electron spin resonance (ESR), was first introduced more than sixty years ago, developed simultaneously but independently in Kazan, Russia and Oxford, England. EMR measures unpaired electrons in a sample. Unpaired electrons are characteristic of free radicals and of complexes containing transition metal ions. EMR is a highly selective technique making it the first choice for free radical and transition metal oxidation state investigations. Furthermore, EMR lends itself admirably to a number of application areas. Many common reactions follow free radical chemistries. These include oxidation, free radical polymerization and a wide range of biochemical processes. Similarly, understanding the oxidation state of inorganic transition metal complexes gives vital information to the analysis of processes such as those associated with catalysis.

The AffirmoEX will make its European debut at analytica, Europe's premier biannual science event. analytica 2012 will focus on innovative and applied product and system solutions for the entire laboratory whether in science, research or industry.

The Oxford Instruments stand is in Hall A2, #133/232.