Multiple sites under pressure

In many cases the crystal structure of a rare-earth compound studied under high pressure is a priori known. In such studies the quality of the theoretical link between structure and spectra can be tested. However, a different possibility would be to use the experimentally determined spectral variations in connection with a theoretical approach to derive information about the local structure of the rare-earth ions. Such an attempt has been made in sect. 4.4.2, where the local distortions have been derived either directly from the spectra or by applying the superposition model. Similarly, high pressure studies have been used to get information about the structure in more complicated cases of multiple sites or glasses. In addition, the spectra of rare-earth ions have been used to detect phase transitions that often occur under pressure. Results of such studies will be discussed in the next two sections. 

The structural analysis on KcsA was performed based on the mobility of each spin labeled side chain in the protein segments under investigation. It is worth recognizing in Pig. 4b that most of the CW RT spectra show multiple spectral components, characterized by different mobility (a few examples are highlighted by arrows). This is a very general property of the R1 side chain in proteins. The components reflect the anisotropy of the spin label reorientational motion, but their appearance could also have other causes. They could arise from a slow equilibrium between two different protein conformations or the presence of asymmetric sites in the protein. The molecular interpretation of different spectral components is cumbersome. Multifrequency EPR [17], temperature analysis of the CW spectra [27], pulse saturation recovery techniques [28], or high pressure EPR [29] can help unravel the possible origins of the spectral components. In the case of KcsA, the spin labels motional information was quantitatively extracted from the inverse central line width (A//q, mobility parameter) and was corroborated by the measure of the accessibility of the spin labeled side chains towards lipids (O2... 

The assumption of a defined number of sites for adsorption is consistent both with experimental evidence and with the very short range of action of molecular forces, which in general are not transmitted through one adsorbed layer to a second one. Multiple layers probably occur in the adsorption of vapours when they are near to their saturation pressures. A solid adsorbent then forms a base on which the first layer is taken up and this itself forms the base for a second, but in virtue of its own attractive forces rather than those of the underlying solid. We are dealing in such cases with an anticipation of the liquefaction process which would set in at a somewhat higher pressure even without the help of the solid surface. 

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