A nuclear relaxation and neutron scattering study of the rotational states of methyl groups in solids with low hindering barriers

The Methyl Torsion in Unsaturated Compounds

How the methyl torsion transition energy in unsaturated systems is affected by its environment is investigated. It is strongly influenced by both its immediate neighborhood, (the number of methyl groups present in the molecule) and the intermolecular interactions. It is clear that the intermolecular interactions have a major influence on the torsion transition energy, as demonstrated unambiguously previously for mesitylene and also seen here for other systems. In part, this may be caused by the fact that the methyl torsion is rarely a pure mode (unless enforced by symmetry). Where the crystal structure is available, the assignments have been supported by CASTEP calculations of the unit cell. The agreement between the observed and calculated spectra is generally good, although not perfect, toluene being a case in point, and highlights just how demanding it is to obtain accurate transition energies for low energy modes. The disagreement between observed and calculated inelastic neutron scattering spectra for meta-xylene and 9,10 dimethylanthracene is so severe that it would suggest that there are additional phases to those presently known. Comparison between the full periodic calculations and those for the isolated molecule shows that intermolecular interactions raise the methyl torsion transition energy by at least 8% and in some cases by more than 50%. The presence of more than one methyl group in the molecule generally raises the average torsion energy from the <100 cm^-1 seen for single methyl groups to 150-200 cm^-1.

Complex mechanism of relaxation in solid chloroxylenol (antibacterial/antifungal agent) studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations

Molecular relaxation in antibacterial/antifungal agent: chloroxylenol (4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, PCMX) in the solid state was studied by the (1)H NMR and quantum chemistry calculations. The temperature dependencies of the proton spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) in the ranges 15-273 K (at 24.667 MHz), 77-295 K (at 15 MHz), and 112-291 K at 90 MHz and the second moment (M2) of (1)H NMR resonant line in the range 106-380 K were measured. The two minima in the temperature dependence of T1 revealed two activation processes, whereas the M2 dependence in the studied range was quite flat and revealed the only significant reduction at 380 K. The low temperature part of T1(T) dependence indicated the occurrence of two processes characteristic of methyl bearing solids; the quantum mechanics governed incoherent tunneling (responsible for the low temperature flattening of T1) and the classical Arrhenius dependence governed hindered rotation (related to the wide low temperature minimum of 0.066 s at 57 K, 24.667 MHz). The 2D potential energy surface obtained using DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,p) calculations revealed the inequivalence of methyl groups and the lack of their interplay/coupling. The activation energies of classical hindered rotation are 3.35 and 2.5 kJ/mol, whereas temperatures at which the proton tunneling T(tun) finally ceases are 52 and 63 K, for inequivalent methyl groups. C(p)(T) required for the estimation of T(tun) was calculated purely theoretically on the basis of the Einstein and Debye models of specific heat and 51 modes of atomic vibrations, 4 internal rotations, and 3 torsions calculated by DFT. The -CH3 motion (tunneling and classical) results in the reduction in the (1)H NMR line second moment from 17.3 G(2) (rigid) to approximately 11.05 G(2). The pointed high temperature minimum T1(T) of 0.109 s at 89 K, 24.667 MHz, which shifts with frequency, was assigned to small-angle libration jumps, by the Θ2 = ±15° between two positions of equilibrium. The activation energy of this motion estimated on the basis of the fit of the theoretical model to the experimental points is 10.5 kJ/mol. The reduction in the (1)H NMR line second moment assigned to this motion is much lower (due to order parameter s = 0.64) and equal to 1.6 G(2). The high temperature reduction from 9.6 G(2) to 0.9 G(2) at 380 K is a result of the phase transition connected with melting (385-389 K).

Complex methyl groups dynamics in [(CH3)4P]3Sb2Br9 (PBA) from low to high temperatures by proton spin-lattice relaxation and narrowing of proton NMR spectrum

Molecular dynamics of a polycrystalline sample of [(CH(3))(4)P](3)Sb(2)Br(9) (PBA) has been studied on the basis of the T(1) (24.7 MHz) relaxation time measurement, the proton second moment of NMR and the earlier published T(1) (90 MHz) relaxation times. The study was performed in a wide range of temperatures (30-337 K). The tunnel splitting omega(T) of the methyl groups was estimated as of low frequency (from kHz to few MHz). The proton spin pairs of the methyl group are known to perform a complex internal motion being a resultant of four components. Three of them involve mass transportation over and through the potential barrier and are characterized by the correlation times tau(3) and tau(T)of the jumps over the barrier and tunnel jumps in the threefold potential of the methyl group and tau(iso) the correlation time of isotropic rotation of the whole TMP cation. For tau(3) and tau(iso) the Arrhenius temperature dependence was assumed, while for tau(T)--the Schrödinger one. The fourth motion causes fluctuations of the tunnel splitting frequency, omega(T), and it is related to the lifetime of the methyl spin at the energy level. The correlation function for this fourth motion (tau(omega) correlation time) has been proposed by Müller-Warmuth et al. In this paper a formula for the correlation function and spectral density of the complex motion made of the above-mentioned four components was derived and used in interpretation of the T(1) relaxation time. The second moment of proton NMR line at temperatures below 50K is four times lower than its value for the rigid structure. The three components of the internal motion characterized by tau(T), tau(H), and tau(iso) were proved to reduce the second moment of the NMR line. The tunnel jumps of the methyl group reduce M(2) at almost 0K, the classical jumps over the barrier reduce M(2) in the vicinity of 50K, while the isotropic motion near 150K. Results of the study on the dynamics of CH(3) groups of TMP cation based on the second moment measurements were correlated with those based on T(1) time measurements.