Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

NMR 15N Relaxation Experiments for the Investigation of Picosecond to Nanoseconds Structural Dynamics of Proteins
Published on: November 1, 2024
Methyl group rotation, 1H spin-lattice relaxation in an organic solid, and the analysis of nonexponential relaxation
Peter A Beckmann1, Evan Schneider
1Department of Physics, Bryn Mawr College, 101 North Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010-2899, USA. pbeckman@brynmawr.edu
Abstract:
We report (1)H spin-lattice relaxation measurements in polycrystalline 4,4'-dimethoxybiphenyl at temperatures between 80 and 300 K at NMR frequencies of ω(0)/2π = 8.50, 22.5, and 53.0 MHz. The data are interpreted in terms of the simplest possible Bloch-Wangsness-Redfield methyl group hopping model. Different solid states are observed at low temperatures. The (1)H spin-lattice relaxation is nonexponential at higher temperatures where a stretched-exponential function fits the data very well, but this approach is phenomenological and not amenable to theoretical interpretation. (We provide a brief literature review of the stretched-exponential function.) The Bloch-Wangsness-Redfield model applies only to the relaxation rate that characterizes the initial (1)H magnetization decay in a high-temperature nonexponential (1)H spin-lattice relaxation measurement. A detailed procedure for determining this initial relaxation rate is described since large systematic errors can result if this is not done carefully.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation
In spin–lattice or longitudinal relaxation, the excited spins exchange energy with the surrounding lattice as they return to the lower energy level. Among several mechanisms that contribute to spin–lattice relaxation, magnetic dipolar interactions are significant. Here, the excited nucleus transfers energy to a nearby...
¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Temporal Resolution
¹H NMR of Labile Protons: Temporal Resolution
The –OH proton in alcohols typically appears in the range of δ 2 to 5 ppm but can vary depending on the specific...
Spin–Spin Coupling Constant: Overview
Qualitatively, any spin plus-half nucleus polarizes the spins of its electrons to the minus-half state. Consequently, the paired electron in the hydrogen–carbon bond must have a...
¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are slanted or...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
![Measuring the Spin-Lattice Relaxation Magnetic Field Dependence of Hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F59399.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
