Spin-lattice relaxation basic theory

The significance of n.m.r. spectroscopy for structural elucidation of carbohydrates can scarcely be underestimated, and the field has become vast with ramifications of specialized techniques. Although chemical shifts and spin couplings of individual nuclei constitute the primary data for most n.m.r.-spectral analyses, other n.m.r. parameters may provide important additional data. P. Dais and A. S. Perlin (Montreal) here discuss the measurement of proton spin-lattice relaxation rates. The authors present the basic theory concerning spin-lattice relaxation, explain how reliable data may be determined, and demonstrate how these rates can be correlated with stereospecific dependencies, especially regarding the estimation of interproton distances and the implications of these values in the interpretation of sugar conformations. 

To verify the theory of PIP, a computer program using C language was developed. It can be used to directly calculate the excitation profiles by PIPs or any other RF pulses. The calculation is based on the Bloch vector model for a non-interacting spin-1/2 system, where the spin-lattice relaxation during the pulse is neglected. The basic idea of the program is discussed as follows. 

Molecular motions in low molecular weight molecules are rather complex, involving different types of motion such as rotational diffusion (isotropic or anisotropic torsional oscillations or reorientations), translational diffusion and random Brownian motion. The basic NMR theory concerning relaxation phenomena (spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation times) and molecular dynamics, was derived assuming Brownian motion by Bloembergen, Purcell and Pound (BPP theory) 46). This theory was later modified by Solomon 46) and Kubo and Tomita48 an additional theory for spin-lattice relaxation times in the rotating frame was also developed 49>. 

NMR observations basically contain spin relaxation processes which are associated with molecular motions with different specific frequencies in a given system. For quantitative measurements to determine the compositions of the system or selective measurements of particular components with different relaxation parameters, it is essential, therefore, to understand the principle of the relaxation mechanism. When our interest is focused on molecular motions, spin relaxation parameters such as spin-lattice relaxation time T, spin-spin relaxation time T2, and the nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE), are directly measured as a function of temperature or field frequency by using appropriate pulse sequences. Such temperature or frequency dependencies of the spin relaxation parameters are analyzed in terms of appropriate models to obtain detailed information of molecular motions with frequencies of Hz in the system. In this chapter, the basic theories and analyses... 

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