EPR and solid-state NMR studies of poly(dicarbon monofluoride) (C2F)n

Poly(dicarbon monofluoride) (C2F)n was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The effects of physisorbed oxygen on the EPR and NMR relaxation were underlined and extrapolated to poly(carbon monofluoride) (CF)n and semi-covalent graphite fluoride prepared at room temperature. Physisorbed oxygen molecules are shown to be an important mechanism of both electronic and nuclear relaxations, resulting in apparent spin-lattice relaxation time and line width during NMR and EPR measurements, respectively. The effect of paramagnetic centers on the 19F spin-lattice relaxation was underlined in accordance with the high electron spin density determined by EPR. 19F magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR, 13C MAS NMR, and 13C MAS NMR with 19F to 13C cross polarization (CP) underline the presence of two types of carbon atoms, both sp3 hybridized: some covalently bonded to fluorine and the others linked exclusively to carbon atoms. Finally, a C-F bond length of 0.138 +/- 0.002 nm has been determined thanks to the re-introduction of dipolar coupling using cross polarization.