High-field electron-nuclear double resonance

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy [1-3] is the most selective, best resolved, and a highly sensitive spectroscopy for the characterization of species that contain unpaired electrons. After the first experiments by Zavoisky in 1944 [4] mainly continuous-wave (CW) techniques in the X-band frequency range (9-10 GHz) were developed and applied to organic free radicals, transition metal complexes, and rare earth ions. Many of these applications were related to reaction mechanisms and catalysis, as species with unpaired electrons are inherently unstable and thus reactive. This period culminated in the 1970s, when CW EPR had become a routine technique in these fields. The best resolution for the hyperfine couplings between the unaired electron and nuclei in the vicinity was obtained with CW electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) techniques [5]. 

Electron nuclear double resonance is a powerful tool for the study of the electronic structure of triplet states because of its high precision. ENDOR linewidths can be as narrow as 10 kHz, which represents an increase in resolution of better than six orders of magnitude over that which can be obtained optically. The technique is particularly useful when combined with hf methods owing to the first-order nature of the hyperfine interaction in the presence of a field. Although such experiments are difficult, the information obtained is unique. Accordingly, the hf EPR (or ODMR) spectrometer has been modified for ENDOR operation in several laboratories. In order to illustrate the power of the method, we discuss here some recent optically detected hf ENDOR experiments on (njr ) benzophenone and its iso-topically labeled derivatives (Brode and Pratt, 1977, 1978a,b). The results, although incomplete, show considerable promise for the ultimate determination of the complete spin distribution in this prototype triplet state. 

Infrared, Raman, microwave, and double resonance techniques turn out to offer nicely complementary tools, which usually can and have to be complemented by quantum chemical calculations. In both experiment and theory, progress over the last 10 years has been enormous. The relationship between theory and experiment is symbiotic, as the elementary systems represent benchmarks for rigorous quantum treatments of clear-cut observables. Even the simplest cases such as methanol dimer still present challenges, which can only be met by high-level electron correlation and nuclear motion approaches in many dimensions. On the experimental side, infrared spectroscopy is most powerful for the O—H stretching dynamics, whereas double resonance techniques offer selectivity and Raman scattering profits from other selection rules. A few challenges for accurate theoretical treatments in this field are listed in Table I. 

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