Coupled spin-lattice system

The main objectives of this article are (i) to give an account of the simple theory related to spin-lattice relaxation-rates, in a language that is directed, as far as possible, to the practising chemist rather than to the theoretician (ii) to caution against uncritical use of this simple theory for systems that are strongly coupled, or undergoing anisotropic reorientation, or both (hi) to introduce the pulse n.m.r. experiments that are used to measure spin-lattice relaxation-rates, and to stress the precautions necessary for accurate... 

To lessen experimental time, the null-point method may be employed by locating the pulse spacing, tnun, for which no magnetization is observed after the 180°-1-90° pulse-sequence. The relaxation rate is then obtained directly by using the relationship / , = 0.69/t n. In this way, a considerable diminution of measuring time is achieved, which is especially desirable in measurements of very low relaxation-rates, or for samples that are not very stable. In addition, estimates of relaxation rates for overlapping resonances can often be achieved. However, as the recovery curves for coupled spin-systems are, more often than not, nonexponential, observation of the null point may violate the initial-slope approximation. Hence, this method is best reserved for preliminary experiments that serve to establish the time scale for spin-lattice relaxation, and for qualitative conclusions. 

However, there is no indication that the presence of the observed signals correlates with the polymerization efficiency of the catalyst. In fact, systems which exhibit these signals are less effective catalysts and in some cases do not even polymerize ethylene under the chosen conditions. In contrast, systems without EPR signals correlated to Ti species are foimd to be catalytically active. It has to be emphasized at this point that the lack of an ESR signal associated to Ti + ions, in cases where no additional argon or electron bombardment has been applied, cannot be interpreted as an indication of the absence of Ti + centers at the surface. It has been discussed in the literature that small spin-lattice-relaxation times, dipole coupling, and super exchange may leave a very small fraction of Ti " that is detectable in an EPR experiment [115,116]. From a combination of XPS and EPR results it unhkely that Ti " centers play an important role in the catalytic activity of the catalysts. 

Consider a spin system whose spin Hamiltonian consists of a time-independent Hamiltonian H0 and a stochastic perturbation Hamiltonian H,(t) due to a small spin-lattice coupling,... 

In solids, the coupling between the spins is much larger than their coupling with the lattice. The spin-lattice relaxation time is therefore very long (a few minutes) compared with the spin-spin relaxation time. It was soon realized that, to a first approximation, the evolution of many-spin systems towards equilibrium... 

Furthermore, the method of orientation selection can only be applied to systems with an electron spin-spin cross relaxation time Tx much larger than the electron spin-lattice relaxation time Tle77. In this case, energy exchange between the spin packets of the polycrystalline EPR spectrum by spin-spin interaction cannot take place. If on the other hand Tx < Tle, the spin packets are coupled by cross relaxation, and a powder-like ENDOR signal will be observed77. Since T 1 is normally the dominant relaxation rate in transition metal complexes, the orientation selection technique could widely be applied in polycrystalline and frozen solution samples of such systems (Sect. 6). 

Using a simple kinetic model, Solomon demonstrated that the spin-lattice relaxation of the I and S spins was described by a system of coupled differential equations, with bi-exponential functions as general solutions. A single exponential relaxation for the I spin, corresponding to a well-defined Tu, could only be obtained in certain limiting situations, e.g., if the other spin, S, was different from I and had an independent and highly efficient relaxation pathway. This limit is normally fulfilled if S represents an electron spin. The spin-lattice relaxation rate, for the nuclear spin, I, is in such a situation given by ... 

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