Direct electron spin resonance, radical intermediate detection

The reactive intermediates mentioned above are initially ions and excited molecules and subsequently may be free radicals. Many ions are probably formed on irradiating PET, as judged by the large concentration of spins detected at —196°C. by electron spin resonance (ESR), but nothing is known directly about their chemical structure or reactivity. Any chemical role of excited molecules is equally a matter of conjecture. In these circumstances, the influence of dose rate will be discussed by reference to free radicals. Eventually, when more quantitative experimental data are obtained, the adequacy of free radical reactions may be better assessed, and the role of ions and excited molecules brought into perspective. 

Experimental evidence for the presence of radical intermediates is provided by the identification of expected products from radical rearrangements, by the use of appropriate radical probes and by direct detection by electron spin resonance (ESR). Other mechanistic evidence includes inhibition by radical traps, such as di-t-butylnitroxide (DTBN), TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-l-piperidinyloxy), galvinoxyl and oxygen, and by radical anion scavengers such as p-dinitrobenzene (p-DNB). 

Many of these free radical intermediates have been detected directly with ESR. Others are too reactive to detect directly, but a method to stabilize these free radicals called spin trapping has proved successful. Spin trapping is a technique in which a short-lived reactive free radical (R ) combines with a diamagnetic molecule ( spin trap ) to form a more stable free radical ( radical adduct ) which can be detected by electron spin resonance ... 

The possibility of applying the electron-spin-resonance technique to the study of free-radical intermediates in organic electrode reactions was also investigated by the American Oil Company. Studies using stable free radicals (e.g., from p-amino phenol) gave an indication of optimum conditions for detection. However, application of these conditions to the search for anodical-ly generated radicals from benzyl alcohol, t-butanol, and p-nitro benzyl alcohols did not produce observable ESR signals. It is felt that further attempts in this direction will be worth while. 

Time-resolved laser flash ESR spectroscopy generates radicals with nonequilibrium spin populations and causes spectra with unusual signal directions and intensities. The signals may show absorption, emission, or both and be enhanced as much as 100-fold. Deviations from Boltzmann intensities, first noted in 1963, are known as chemically induced dynamic electron polarization (CIDEP). Because the splitting pattern of the intermediate remains unaffected, the CIDEP enhancement facilitates the detection of short-lived radicals. A related technique, fluorescence detected magnetic resonance (FDMR) offers improved time resolution and its sensitivity exceeds that of ESR. The FDMR experiment probes short-lived radical ion pairs, which form reaction products in electronically excited states that decay radiatively. ... 

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