The Benelux EPR Society came to existence when researchers from Flanders in 1993 joined the Dutch EPR Discussion Group in Nijmegen. The year after, a meeting was organized at Ghent University. Since then, yearly one-day meetings have been organized, alternatingly in Belgium and in The Netherlands. The meeting is open to all researchers from or with close relations to the Benelux (Belgium – The Netherlands – Luxembourg) applying and/or developing EPR spectroscopy in their research. At present, groups at 8 universities in Belgium and The Netherlands are active in this society, which also has good connections with the European Federation of EPR Groups (EFEPR) and the International EPR Society (IES).
EPR or Electron Paramagnetic Resonance refers to the resonance absorption of microwaves by molecules or defects/impurities in materials with unpaired electrons (further referred to as paramagnetic centers) in the presence of an external magnetic field. It allows to quantify such paramagnetic centers and provides fine details of their molecular geometric and electronic structure.
The main aim of the Benelux EPR Society is to exchange scientific knowledge and expertise and to promote collaboration between EPR research groups and groups occasionally using EPR in their research in the Benelux. This is accomplished by one-day meetings organized each year. This website also aims to serve academic or other research groups and industry with research questions that might be solved with EPR spectroscopy. For this we refer to the specific websites of the groups active in the Benelux EPR Society.
Would you like to be informed about upcoming meetings or would like to be mentioned as EPR lab in the Benelux, please leave your contact details, and we will take contact with you.
In 2026 we went outside the Benelux, to Lille, and joined the France-Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg joined Magnetic Resonance Conference, June 2-5. You find details about this very interesting and inspiring meeting by following this link. Unfortunately, not many PIs in EPR in the Benelux (or even from France) could participate in the meeting. Our general assembly meeting on June 5 had a very small audience. Key points discussed were the location of our next meeting, the call for a new chair of the Society, and a question raised by Sabine about the future of EPR in the Benelux.
For our next meeting we go to the Netherlands again, to Nijmegen. Evan Wenbo Zhao has agreed to organize our 33rd meeting. The date will be announced here and via e-mail to the regular participants. We hope to see participation of all active EPR groups in the Netherlands and Belgium in Nijmegen, and since it is close to the German Border, perhaps also German groups can join.
In the 2023 meeting in Leiden a sew type of session was launched. Participants were given the opportunity to ask a question regarding EPR spectroscopy they are struggling with at this moment to the audience. The meeting gathers scientists with diverse backgrounds, complementary expertise and vast experience in EPR spectrometer development, spectrum acquisition, simulation and modeling, and in theoretical interpretation. Problems encountered by one may already have been solved by another, even if the solution was not (or for some reason could not be) published.
In the first session of this type two questions were raised: the first concerning simulation of broad EPR spectra for large effective spin sytems, the second about calibration standards for quantifying spin numbers or concentrations for solid state systems.
A brief report of this first session can be found here. This document should be considered as dynamic: it will be amended based on your reactions. Please send your reactions to the chairman and secretary of the Society.
In 2024 we had a second edition of this session. The questions and discussion are summarized in this document. We hope to make recurrent and already challenge you to think about questions for the upcoming meeting in 2025. The aim would be to already announce the question(s) in the meeting programme (like titles of oral and poster presentations), so that participants can think about them in advance.
In 2025 two questions to the audience were raised. The first concerned repositories for EPR spectra and how a standard entry to such repository should look like. The second question dealt with EPR and computational techniques, in particular DFT calculation of radical structures, g and hyperfine values. There is no formal written report of the discussions of that year.
In 2026 a brief general assembly meeting was held during the FBNL-MR conference. Sabine Van Doorslaer raised a question and concern about the future of EPR groups and research in the Benelux, with as a side question how we can work on the PR in EPR. I invite everyone who is interested to already think about these questions and express your thoughts in our next meeting, in 2027.
Any question, suggestion or remark you may have regarding this session format is welcome: please send it by e-mail to Henk Vrielinck and Martina Huber.
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