One of the key aspects of research in the Woodward group is the application of new experimental approaches to solve scientific problems. Thus almost all the instrumentation in the Woodward group has been developed, designed and built by the group itself. Building new instruments has a great advantage in allowing new measurements to be made, but requires a large amount of work before measurements can be made and a wide range of skills and expertise of the group members.

Examples of new instrumentation include instruments to measure the effect of RF radiation on chemical reactions (Woodward, at Oxford), the use of short resonant microwave pulses in ODMR (Woodward, at Riken, Japan), magnetic field effects by time-resolved IR spectroscopy (Leicester), rapid magnetic field switching circuitry and techniques (Leicester), magnetic field effect stopped flow instrumentation for enzyme kinetics (Leicester, Manchester), VUV generation and wavelength separation methods (Woodward, at Tokyo Tech) and the recently developed TOAD and MIM imaging microscope (University of Tokyo).

Selected publications

‘Time-resolved optical absorption microspectroscopy of magnetic field sensitive flavin photochemistry.’ L M. Antill, J. P. Beardmore and J. R. Woodward, Rev. Sci. Instr. 89(2):023707 (2018).

‘Optical Absorption and Magnetic Field Effect Based Imaging of Transient Radicals.’ J. P. Beardmore, L M. Antill, and J. R. Woodward, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201502591 (2015).

‘A two-color tunable infrared/vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer for high-resolution spectroscopy of molecules in molecular beams.’ J. R. Woodward, H. Watanabe, S. Ishiuchi and M. Fujii; Rev Sci Instrum. 83 (1), 014102 (2012).

‘Rapid rise time pulsed magnetic field circuit for pump-probe field effect studies,’ T. A. Salaoru, and J. R. Woodward.  Rev Sci Instrum., 78(3), 036104. (2007)

One of the key research areas of the group is in investigating the magnetosensitivity of biological systems. There are two main perspectives for this interest :

1) Studies have shown a non-vanishing correlation between childhood leukaemia and the distance between residence and electric power distribution lines. More generally, if RP reactions are magnetic field sensitive and some biological processes involve RPs, then it is entirely possible that magnetic fields may have a deleterious or beneficial effect on human health.

2) Recent work by the spin chemistry community and animal behavioral biologists has begun to strongly suggest that the ability of many different animals to navigate in the earth's magnetic field may be linked to RP based reactions in photoreceptors involving a group of proteins known as the cryptochromes. Our current studies are focussed on investigating field effect in these and related systems within biological cells.

Selected publications

‘Cellular autofluorescence is magnetic field sensitive’, N. Ikeya and J. R. Woodward, PNAS 118 (3) e2018043118 (2021).

‘Observation of the Δg mechanism resulting from the ultrafast spin dynamics that follow the photolysis of coenzyme B12‘, J. A. Hughes, S. J. O. Hardman, N.S.S. Scrutton, D. M. Graham, J. R. Woodward and A.R. Jones, J. Chem. Phys. 151, 201102; DOI: 10.1063/1.5127258 (2019).

‘Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide Photochemistry Is Magnetic Field Sensitive at Physiological pH’, L. M. Antill and J. R. Woodward, J. Phys. Chem. Letts. 9(10), 2691–2696 (2018).

‘Continuous Wave Photolysis Magnetic Field Effect Investigations with Free and Protein-Bound Alkylcobalamins’, A. R. Jones, J. R. Woodward, and N. S. Scrutton; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 131,17246-17253 (2009).

‘Magnetic Field Effect Studies Indicate that the Radical Pair in Adenosylcobalamin- Dependent Ethanolamine Ammonia Lyase is Stabilized Against Geminate Recombination’, A. R. Jones, Sam Hay, J. R. Woodward and N. S. Scrutton, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 129, 15718- 1572 (2007)

Prof. Woodward began his scientific research in the group of Prof. Keith McLauchlan at the University of Oxford, one of the pioneers of time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance and CIDEP (chemically induced dynamic electron polarization). EPR is a very powerful technique for studying radicals, their structure and interactions and their reactivity. When RPs are generated in a suitable photochemical reaction, they are often born in a state where their nuclear spin state distribution is very far from equilibrium. This gives rise to polarized EPR signals that provide unique and powerful information about the origin and reactions of the pair. Combined with the detailed structural information that EPR is known for, such techniques are very important weapons in the armoury of the spin chemist.

The Woodward group has used various forms of EPR in a number of different contexts - to study RP dynamics, to elucidate the mechanisms of photochemical processes and to study biologically important radical species.

Selected publications

‘Photochemical Spin Dynamics of the Vitamin B12 Derivative, Methylcobalamin.’  V. Lukinović, J. R. Woodward, T. C. Marrafa, M. Shanmugam, D. J. Heyes, S. J. O. Hardman, N. S. Scrutton, S. Hay, A. J. Fielding, and A. R. Jones. J. Phys. Chem. B, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b01969 (2019)

‘Elucidation of the Mechanism by Which Catecholamine Stress Hormones Liberate Iron from the Innate Immune Defense Proteins Transferrin and Lactoferrin.’ S. M. Sandrini, R. Shergill, J.R. Woodward, R. Muralikuttan, R. D. Haigh, M. Lyte, and P. P. Freestone,  Journal of Bacteriology, 192(2), 587–594 (2010).

‘Evidence for a novel bisacylphosphine oxide photoreaction from TRIR, TREPR and DFT studies.’ R. S. Shergill, M. Haberler, C. B. Vink, H. V. Patten and J. R. Woodward, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 11, 7248–7256 (2009).

‘Alternative source of emissive CIDEP in the TREPR spectra of benzophenone in alcohols.’ A.R. Jones and J. R. Woodward, Mol. Phys., 104 (10-11), 1551 (2006).