Two-dimensional ENDOR-ESEEM correlation spectroscopy

A two-dimensional (2D) experiment that correlates electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) and electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) frequencies, useful for unraveling and assigning ENDOR and ESEEM spectra from different paramagnetic centers with overlapping EPR spectra, is presented. The pulse sequence employed is similar to the Davies ENDOR experiment with the exception that the two-pulse echo detection is replaced by a stimulated echo detection in order to enhance the resolution in the ESEEM dimension. The two-dimensional data set is acquired by measuring the ENDOR spectrum as a function of the time interval T between the last two microwave pulses of the stimulated echo detection scheme. This produces a series of ENDOR spectra with amplitudes that are modulated with T. Fourier transformation (FT) with respect to T then generates a 2D spectrum with cross peaks connecting spectral lines of the ESEEM and ENDOR spectra that belong to the same paramagnetic center. Projections along the vertical and horizontal axes give the three-pulse FT-ESEEM and ENDOR spectra, respectively. The feasibility of the experiment was tested by simulating 2D ENDOR-ESEEM correlation spectra of a system consisting of an electron spin (S = (1/2)) coupled to two nuclei (I(1) = I(2) = (1/2)), taking into account experimental conditions such as pulse durations and off-resonance irradiation frequencies. The experiment is demonstrated on a single crystal of Cu(2+) doped l-histidine (Cu-His), containing two symmetrically related Cu(2+) sites that at an arbitrary orientation exhibit overlapping ESEEM and ENDOR spectra. While the ESEEM spectrum is relatively simple and arises primarily from one weakly coupled (14)N, the ENDOR spectrum is very crowded due to contributions from two nonequivalent nitrogens, two chlorides, and a relatively large number of protons. The simple ESEEM projection of the 2D ENDOR-ESEEM correlation spectrum is then used to disentangle the ENDOR spectrum and resolve two sets of lines corresponding to the different sites. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.