Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.108, No.7, 1120-1126, 2004
Unusually large dynamic electron polarization in an O-2((1)Delta(g))-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical system
Net absorptive (Abs) chemically induced dynamic electron polarization (CIDEP) is observed in the system of the lowest excited singlet molecular oxygen O-2((1)Delta(g)) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) radical in benzene by means of the time-resolved ESR (TR-ESR) spectroscopy. As a result of (1) the analysis of CIDEP time profiles by the modified Bloch and kinetic equations and (2) the quenching of CIDEP by triethylamine, it is confirmed that the Abs CIDEP is created through the interaction of O-2((1)Delta(g)) with TEMPO. The creation of Abs CIDEP is reasonably interpreted in terms of the radical-triplet pair mechanism (RTPM) of the O-2((3)Sigma(g)(-))-TEMPO pair with doublet precursor. The absolute magnitude of net Abs CIDEP created on TEMPO is experimentally estimated to be 340 +/- 40 in the unit of Boltzmann polarization. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest magnitudes of CIDEP measured so far by the TR-ESR method. Based upon the RTPM theory, the origin of this unusually large CIDEP is attributed to the large spin relaxation effect via the electron spin dipole-dipole interaction of O-2((3)Sigma(g)(-)) formed in the quenching process of O-2((1)Delta(g)) by TEMPO. As a result of the discussion about the large CIDEP in O-2((1)Delta(g)) quenching by TEMPO, it is proposed that the quenching takes place through the enhanced intersystem crossing accompanied with strong electron exchange interaction between an oxygen molecule and a TEMPO radical.