Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.103, No.8, 2787-2794, 1995
Quantum and Classical Dynamics of a Methyl-Group with Tunneling Frequency 3.4 MHz Studied by Low-Field NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations of methyl tunneling in 2,5-dimethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole are reported. The tunneling frequency (v(t) = 3.39 MHz) was obtained using low field NMR spectroscopy. By means of rapid field cycling irradiation and relaxation measurements the probabilities of the absorption transitions, responsible for the spectral lines in the low field NMR spectra, can be quantified. The results obtained agree well with the calculated probabilities of rf induced transitions between the eigenstates of a methyl rotor with v(t) = 3.39 MHz. Measurements of the temperature dependence of v(t), the spin conversion time tau(con) and an analysis of the proton spin lattice relaxation time T-1, the latter two revealing the correlation time tau(c), enabled the study of the methyl group dynamics over a temperature range encompassing both the quantum mechanical and the classical regimes. The dynamical data can be explained well with a threefold hindering barrier of height V-3/k(B) = 1175 K and are compared with existing theoretical models.
Keywords:INELASTIC NEUTRON-SCATTERING;ROTATIONAL TUNNELLING SYSTEMS;TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE;REORIENTATION;SPLITTINGS;RESONANCE;TIME