Search

Quantum oscillations in radical pairs The spin dynamics of photoinduced radical pairs, involving an interconversion between singlet and triplet spin states, plays an important role in nature, for example, in avian magnetoreception. The spin interconversion is a truly quantum process with characteristic coherent oscillations (quantum beats) that should be reflected in the reaction kinetics. However, their experimental observation has remained challenging. Mims et al . developed an optical readout technique that can directly monitor the singlet-triplet interconversion quantum beats, as demonstrated for a photoinduced, charge-separated state of an electron donor–acceptor dyad (see the Perspective by Hore). The present work opens a new way to monitor the spin evolution in radical pairs, which will be important not only in biological physics but also in organic solar cells and other practical applications. —YS

The exact solution was found for inverting pulses with constant adiabaticity for spin ½. The analytical relationship between the time-varying frequency of the microwave resonant field (or RF field in the case of NMR) and its amplitude time dependence such that the adiabaticity parameter remains constant for the single isochromat throughout the pulse is found. Comparison with EPR (hyperbolic tangent)-(hyperbolic secant) pulse method was carried out. On the basis of the analytical solution the pulses with different dependences of the microwave field amplitude conserving the constant adiabaticity have been constructed. The pulses exhibit rather sharp inversion selectivity that can be used in the field of EPR, NMR and MRI.

Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is an important cofactor in many light-sensitive enzymes. The role of the adenine moiety of FAD in light-induced electron transfer was obscured, because it involves an adenine radical, which is short-lived with a weak chromophore. However, an intramolecular electron transfer from adenine to flavin was revealed several years ago by Robert Kaptein by using chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP). The question of whether one or two types of biradicals of FAD in aqueous solution are formed stays unresolved so far. In the present work, we revisited the CIDNP study of FAD using a robust mechanical sample shuttling setup covering a wide magnetic field range with sample illumination by a light-emitting diode. Also, a cost efficient fast field cycling apparatus with high spectral resolution detection up to 16.4 T for nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion studies was built based on a 700 MHz NMR spectrometer. Site-specific proton relaxation dispersion data for FAD show a strong restriction of the relative motion of its isoalloxazine and adenine rings with coincident correlation times for adenine, flavin, and their ribityl phosphate linker. This finding is consistent with the assumption that the molecular structure of FAD is rigid and compact. The structure with close proximity of the isoalloxazine and purine moieties is favorable for reversible light-induced intramolecular electron transfer from adenine to triplet excited flavin with formation of a transient spin-correlated triplet biradical F⚫−-A⚫+. Spin-selective recombination of the biradical leads to the formation of CIDNP with a common emissive maximum at 4.0 mT detected for adenine and flavin protons. Careful correction of the CIDNP data for relaxation losses during sample shuttling shows that only a single maximum of CIDNP is formed in the magnetic field range from 0.1 mT to 9 T; thus, only one type of FAD biradical is detectable. Modeling of the CIDNP field dependence provides good agreement with the experimental data for a normal distance distribution between the two radical centers around 0.89 nm and an effective electron exchange interaction of −2.0 mT.

A method is proposed to manipulate electron spin order of spin-correlated radical pairs. As radical pairs are often born in a well-defined spin state, e.g. in the singlet state, they acquire Chemic...

Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is an important cofactor in many light-sensitive enzymes. The role of the adenine moiety of FAD in light induced electron transfer was obscured because it involves an adenine radical, short-lived with a weak chromophore. However, an intramolecular electron transfer from adenine to flavin was revealed several years ago by R. Kaptein by using chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP). The question whether one or two types of biradicals of FAD in aqueous solution are formed stays unresolved so far. In the present work, we revisited the CIDNP study of FAD using a robust mechanical sample shuttling setup covering a wide magnetic field range with sample illumination by a light emitting diode. Also, a cost efficient fast field cycling apparatus with high spectral resolution detection up to 16.4 T for nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion studies was built based on a 700 MHz NMR spectrometer. Site-specific proton relaxation dispersion data for FAD show a strong restriction of the relative motion of its isoalloxazine and adenine rings with coincident correlation times for adenine, flavin and their ribityl-phosphate linker. This finding is consistent with the assumption that the molecular structure of FAD is rigid and compact. The structure with close proximity of the isoalloxazine and purine moieties is favorable for reversible light induced intramolecular electron transfer from adenine to triplet excited flavin with formation of a transient spin-correlated triplet biradical F•−-A•+. Spin selective recombination of the biradical leads to the formation of CIDNP with a common emissive maximum at 4.0 mT detected for adenine and flavin protons. Careful correction of the CIDNP data for relaxation losses during sample shuttling shows that only a single maximum of CIDNP is formed in the magnetic field range from 0.1 mT to 9 T; thus, only one type of FAD biradical is detectable. Modeling of the CIDNP field dependence provides good agreement with the experimental data for a normal distance distribution between the two radical centers around 0.89 nm and an effective electron exchange interaction of −2.0 mT.

A series of triads consisting of a triarylamine donor, a naphthalenediimide acceptor, and a palladium photosensitizer bridge was investigated for the photoinduced electron transfer processes and the spin chemistry involved. In this series, the ligand in the palladium photosensitizer was varied from bis-dipyrrinato to porphodimethenato and to a porphyrin. With the porphyrin photosensitizer, no charge separated state could be reached. This is caused by the direct relaxation of the excited photosensitizer to the ground state by intersystem crossing. The bis-dipyrrinato-palladium photosensitizer gave only a little yield (7%) of the charge separated state, which is due to the population of a metal centered triplet state and a concomitant geometrical rearrangement to a disphenoidal coordination sphere. This state relaxes rapidly to the ground state. In contrast, in the porphodimethenato-palladium triads, a long lived (μs to ms) charge separated state could be generated in high quantum yields (66%-74%) because, here, the population of a triplet metal centered state is inhibited by geometrical constraints. The magnetic field dependent transient absorption measurement of one of the porphodimethenato triads revealed a giant magnetic field effect by a factor of 26 on the signal amplitude of the charge separated state. This is the consequence of a magnetic field dependent triplet-singlet interconversion that inhibits the fast decay of the charge separated triplet state through the singlet recombination channel. A systematic comparative analysis of the spin-dependent kinetics in terms of three classical and one fully quantum theoretical methods is provided, shedding light on the pros and cons of each of them.

We report a multifrequency NMR study of heterospin complexes [Eu(SQ)3Ln], where SQ is 3,6-di(tert-butyl)-1,2-semiquinone, L is THF, Py or Dipy and n is the number of diamagnetic ligands. Multifrequency NMR experiments allowed us to determine the effective paramagnetic shifts of the ligands (L = THF or Py) and the chemical equilibrium constant for [Eu(SQ)3(THF)2]. In addition, we have found a strong magnetic field effect on the NMR line broadening, giving rise to very broad NMR lines at high magnetic field. We attribute this effect to broadening under fast exchange conditions when the NMR spectrum represents a homogeneously broadened line with a width proportional to the square of NMR frequency difference of the free and bound forms of L. Consequently, the linewidth strongly increases with the magnetic field. This broadening effect allows one to determine relevant kinetic parameters, i.e., the effective exchange time. The strong broadening effect allows one to exploit the [Eu(SQ)3(THF)2] complex as an effi...

A family of methods is introduced for creating, manipulating and observing nuclear singlet spin order. The basic element is conversion between longitudinal magnetisation and singlet spin order, M2S and S2M. It is based on near-resonance radio-frequency pulses of adiabatically varying amplitude that guide the spins through regions of avoided level-crossings of the system. After discussing the theoretical concepts, we illustrate the practical application of such Adiabatic Passage Spin Order Conversion (APSOC) by analysing the relaxation decay of singlet order independent of the coupling strength of the spin pair. By combining several such pulse sequences and varying their carrier frequency, a filter is designed for Singlet Order Selection (SOS) and suppression of all other spectral components. It enables background-free detection of selected spin pairs. To ease the constraint of slow amplitude variation while staying within the limits of adiabaticity the pulse amplitude profile is shaped so that only near level-crossings speed is reduced, but increased elsewhere; optimum control methods are used to find the ideal pulse shape. In this way adverse relaxation effects during pulses are minimised. Conversion factors close to the theoretical maximum are thus achievable. With such a toolbox not only highly efficient conversion is possible, but also other manipulations of spin order, e.g. polarisation transfer between different spin species or anti-phase to in-phase transformation of spectral components.

The magnetic-field dependent charge recombination kinetics upon ns-laser flash photolysis of a novel triarylamine/cyclometalated platinum complex/napthalenediimide triad (DPtA) have been measured i...

Magnetic field effects (MFEs) allow detailed insight into spin conversion processes of radical pairs that are formed, for example, in all charge separation processes, and are supposed to play the key role in avian navigation. In this work, the MFE of charge recombination in the charge-separated state of a rigid donor–bridge–acceptor dyad was analyzed by a classical and a quantum theoretical model and represents a paradigm case of understanding spin chemistry with unprecedented detail. The MFE is represented by magnetic field-affected reaction yield (MARY) spectra that exhibit a sharp resonance, resulting from S/T level crossing as the Zeeman splitting equals twice the exchange interaction. Although in the classical kinetic model, the spin conversion processes between the four singlet and triplet substates are shown for the first time to obey an identical generalized energy dependence, quantum theory proves that the MARY resonance line is composed of relaxation, coherent hyperfine induced spin mixing, and ...

A detailed experimental study on reversible photo-induced intramolecular charge separation is presented based on NMR detection of Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (CIDNP). From variation of such polarization with the external magnetic field the coupling constants of isotropic and anisotropic hyperfine interaction at individual 13C sites are measured in the short-lived charge separated state of dyad molecules composed of donor-bridge-acceptor parts. The objects of study were rigid donor-bridge- acceptor dyads, consisting of triarylamine as a donor, naphthalene diimide (NDI) as an acceptor, and a meta-conjugated diethynyl benzene fragment as a bridge. By systematic variation of side groups in the bridging moiety their influence on the electron withdrawing strength is traced. In combination with similar data for the 1H positions obtained previously for the same compounds (I. Zhukov, et al J. Chem. Phys 2020, 152, 014203) our results provide a reliable basis for determination of the spin density distribution in the charge separated state of such dyads.

The magnetic field dependence of Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (CIDNP) in solid-state systems is analyzed theoretically with the aim to explain the puzzling sign change of polarization found at low fields [D. Grasing et al., Sci. Rep. 7, 12111 (2017)]. We exploit the analysis of polarization in terms of level crossings and level anti-crossings trying to identify the positions of features in the CIDNP field dependence with specific crossings between spin energy levels of the radical pair. Theoretical treatment of solid-state CIDNP reveals a strong orientation dependence of polarization due to the spin dynamics conditioned by anisotropic spin interactions. Specifically, different anisotropic CIDNP mechanisms become active at different magnetic fields and different molecular orientations. Consequently, the field dependence and orientation dependence of polarization need to be analyzed together in order to rationalize experimental observations. By considering both magnetic field and orientation dependence of CIDNP, we are able to explain the previously measured CIDNP field dependence in photosynthetic reaction centers and to obtain a good qualitative agreement between the experimental observations and theoretical results.

In recent work from this group (J. H. Klein et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 11011), the magnetic field dependent charge recombination kinetics in donor/Ir-complex/acceptor triads has been determined with outstanding accuracy and reproducibility. The field-dependent kinetics has been analyzed in terms of a classical reaction scheme including the field-independent rate parameters of singlet recombination (rate constant k S) and S/T0 mixing (rate constant k ST0) and the field-dependent rate constant k±(B) connecting central and outer Zeeman levels. In the present work, the extraction of k± from the experimental data is more precisely defined and the appearance of a “coherent” and “incoherent” regime of spin motion in a double log plot of k± vs. B is confirmed. The experimental decay curves have been reproduced by a full quantum dynamical model based on the stochastic Liouville equation, which was solved numerically, taking into account isotropic hyperfine coupling with five nuclear spins (1 N on donor radical, 4 H on acceptor radical) and anisotropic hyperfine coupling with the nitrogen nucleus at the donor radical. The results of the quantum calculations serve as a rigorous basis of interpreting the classical parameter k±. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the incoherent part of spin motion is essential for a full understanding of the charge recombination kinetics even in the “coherent” regime.

A complex cascade of solid-state processes initiated by variation of temperature was found for the heterospin complex [Cu(hfac)2L(Me/Et)] formed in the reaction of copper(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate [Cu(hfac)2] with stable nitronyl nitroxide 2-(1-methyl-3-ethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl (L(Me/Et)). The cooling of the compound below 260 K initiated a solid-state chemical reaction, which led to a depolymerization of chains and formation of a pair heterospin complex [Cu(hfac)2L(Me/Et)2][[Cu(hfac)2]3L(Me/Et)2]. Further decrease in temperature below 144 K led to a spin transition accompanied by a drastic decrease in the effective magnetic moment from 2.52 to 2.24 μB. When the compound was heated, the order of effects was reversed: at first, the magnetic moment abruptly increased, and then the molecular fragments of the pair cluster united into polymer chains. Two hysteresis loops correspond to this cascade of temperature-induced structural transformations on the experimental dependence μeff(T): one at high (T↑ = 283 K and T↓ = 260 K) and the other at low (T↑ = 161 K, T↓ = 144 K) temperature. The spin transitions were also recorded for the [[Cu(hfac)2]3L(Bu/Et)2] and [[Cu(hfac)2]5L(Bu/Et)4] molecular complexes, which are models of the trinuclear fragment of the {[Cu(hfac)2]3L(Me/Et)2} pair cluster.

Magnetic Field Effects (MFEs) on the recombination of radicals, which diffuse on an infinite plane, are studied theoretically. The case of spin-selective diffusion-controlled recombination of Radical Pairs (RPs) starting from a random spin state is considered assuming uniform initial distribution of the radicals. In this situation, reaction kinetics is described by a time-dependent rate coefficient K(t), which tends to zero at long times. Strong MFEs on K(t) are predicted that originate from the Δg and hyperfine driven singlet-triplet mixing in the RP. The effects of spin relaxation on the magnetic field are studied, as well as the influence of the dipole-dipole interaction between the electron spins of the RP. In the two-dimensional case, this interaction is not averaged out by diffusion and it strongly affects the MFE. The results of this work are of importance for interpreting MFEs on lipid peroxidation, a magnetosensitive process occurring on two-dimensional surfaces of cell membranes.

Previous transient absorption measurements using the magnetically affected reaction yield (MARY) technique for a series of rigidly linked electron donor/electron acceptor dyads (D-X-A) consisting of a triarylamine donor, a naphthalene diimide acceptor, and a meta-conjugated diethynylbenzene unit as a bridge had revealed the presence of electronic exchange interaction, J, in the photoexcited charge separated (CS) state. Here, we present results obtained by photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) that allows for determining the sign of J. By variation of the magnetic field from 1 mT to 9.4 T, pronounced absorptive maxima of CIDNP were detected for more than 20 1H nuclei disregarding the sign of their hyperfine coupling constants in the transient charge separated state, with positions of maxima close to those found by the MARY technique. Quantitative comparison of the observed CIDNP signals for various D-X-A dyads reveals an increase in the CIDNP enhancement factor with increasing population of the triplet state determined by MARY spectroscopy at zero magnetic field. For CIDNP of the methyl groups of the TAA donor dyads, we found in all studies a good linear dependence between the CIDNP signal amplitude and the initial population of the CS triplet state. The linear relationship together with the absorptive CIDNP allows us to conclude that (i) the sign of the electronic exchange interaction Jex is positive, (ii) CIDNP is formed predominantly in the vicinity of level anticrossing between the T+ and S electronic levels, and (iii) coherent triplet-singlet transitions are induced by hyperfine interaction and accompanied by simultaneous electron and nuclear spin flip, T+β→Sα.

Charge recombination in the photoinduced charge separated (CS) state of a rigidly linked donor/bridge/acceptor triad with a triarylamine (TAA) donor, a 1,3-diethynyl-2,5-dimethoxy benzene bridge (OMe), and a perylenediimide (PDI) unit as an acceptor, represents a spin chemical paradigm case of a rigid radical ion pair formed with singlet spin and recombining almost exclusively to the locally excited PDI triplet state (3PDI). The magnetic field dependence of the CS state decay and 3PDI formation kinetics are investigated from 0 to 1800 mT by nanosecond laser flash spectroscopy. The time-resolved magnetic field affected reaction yields spectra of the CS state population and 3PDI population exhibit a sharp and deep resonance at 18.9 mT, indicating level crossing of the S and T+ levels separated by an exchange interaction of J = 18.9/2 mT at zero field. The kinetics are biexponential around the resonance field and monoexponential outside that range. The monoexponential behavior can be simulated by a classical kinetic model assuming a single field dependent double Lorentzian function for the energy gap dependence of all spin conversion processes. The full field dependence of the kinetics has been simulated quantum theoretically. It has been shown that incoherent and coherent hyperfine coupling contribute to S/T+ spin conversion at all fields and that the biexponentiality of the kinetics at resonance is due to a partitioning of the overall kinetics into 2/3 of the singlet hyperfine states exhibiting strong isotropic coupling to T+ and 1/3 of the singlet hyperfine states that do not or only weakly couple isotropically to T+.

A theoretical approach to stochastic searching of a small target is developed, which can be applied, for instance, to searching for a damaged site on the DNA molecule by a DNA repair enzyme. It is assumed that the searching molecule moves along a chain of sites by means of stochastic jumps to the adjacent positions (one-dimensional ‘sliding’); the second motion models diffusion in three dimensions. A general expression is obtained for the flux to the damaged site. A special case is analyzed where the second motion is treated as effective 1D diffusion; the effective searching time is estimated. It is shown that the faster second motion shortens the searching time. A more realistic case where the second kind of motion leads to jumps not only to the adjacent site is also treated: it is shown that the diffusional search is facilitated even further.

The complex spin order of hyperpolarized multispin systems giving rise to anomalous NMR spectral patterns that vary with the RF excitation angle is analyzed by decomposing its nutation behavior in a superposition of Fourier harmonics. The product operator formalism is applied to calculating the spectral contributions of the various mutual alignments of scalar coupled spins. Two cases are treated, namely systems exhibiting only differences in population of their spin states and systems showing in addition zero-quantum coherences between states, a situation often seen at hyperpolarization. After deriving the general solution a number of representative examples are discussed in detail. The theoretical treatment is applied to analyzing the spin order observed in a hyperpolarized two-spin system that is prepared in the singlet state by para-hydrogen induced polarization.

A method for precise manipulation of non-thermal nuclear spin polarization by switching a RF-field is presented. The method harnesses adiabatic correlation of spin states in the rotating frame. A detailed theory behind the technique is outlined; examples of two-spin and three-spin systems prepared in a non-equilibrium state by Para-Hydrogen Induced Polarization (PHIP) are considered. We demonstrate that the method is suitable for converting the initial multiplet polarization of spins into net polarization: compensation of positive and negative lines in nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, which is detrimental when the spectral resolution is low, is avoided. Such a conversion is performed for real two-spin and three-spin systems polarized by means of PHIP. Potential applications of the presented technique are discussed for manipulating PHIP and its recent modification termed signal amplification by reversible exchange as well as for preparing and observing long-lived spin states.

The kinetics of the search for damaged DNA bases by repair enzymes was theoretically studied. In particular, the characteristic features of the diffusive motion of the enzyme were investigated. Compact analytical expressions for the average search time and its dispersion were obtained for two models of the one-dimensional motion of the enzyme along the DNA fragment: continuous diffusion and stochastic jumps. It was shown that the kinetics of the search is essentially non-exponential due to characteristic features of the diffusive motion.

Exact explicit analytical expression for echoes in the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill sequence with arbitrary excitation and refocusing angles and resonance offset of RF pulses was obtained, employing the generating functions formalism developed earlier by authors. Asymptotic form and analytical approximation for echoes were derived in an elegant way and analyzed in details. In particular, it was shown that depending on T(1), T(2) and parameters of the pulse sequence, oscillatory behavior of echoes can take place. Accuracy of asymptotic forms and approximations were tested by comparison with exactly calculated echo amplitudes. Besides, it was shown, that the generating function approach can be applied to the consideration of terminated pulse sequences, when after-pulses echoes are registered.

A quantitative theoretical approach to protein chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) is formulated in the present work, which is based on the theory of sterically specific chemical reactions in liquids. Kinetic equations for polarization of all CIDNP-active accessible amino acid residues are presented. Relations between the kinetic parameters and the total side-chain accessibility (TSA) values are established. Numerical calculations of the CIDNP kinetics are also shown to demonstrate how the time behavior of polarization depends on TSA. The present theoretical approach was applied to model time-resolved protein CIDNP data obtained for Tyr59 and His68 of ubiquitin in the native state. Comparison of theoretical predictions with the experimental data confirms the accuracy of the approach.

Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation properties of aqueous solution containing nanocomposites based on magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles stabilized by arabinogalactan obtained from Baikal larch (Larix sibirica) wood matrix were investigated. The relaxation properties of the solutions, namely, viscosity dependences of T 1 and T 2 and magnetic field dependence of T 1, were studied experimentally. Two models of the nanocomposite granular structure corresponding to two limiting cases of ferromagnetic material distribution over the arabinogalactan matrix were considered. The first one assumes a homogeneous distribution of magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles over the spherical arabinogalactan matrix, while the second one considers a single hard ferromagnetic core at the center of the spherical arabinogalactan matrix. Theoretical fitting of the experimental results within these models was performed.

In the present work, we have shown that consistent derivation of the kinetic equations describing the electron spin-selective recombination of radical pairs confirms the conventional Haberkorn approach. The derivation has been based on considering the interaction of the reactive system (radical pair and product state) with the thermal bath. The consistency of this approach has also been substantiated by numerical simulations performed for the purely quantum mechanical model of the recombining radical pair. Finally, we have shown that the quantum Zeno effect on radical pair recombination is not an exclusive feature of the approach recently proposed by Kominis, as it should be present at any rate of the singlet-triplet dephasing in the radical pair, which always accompanies the recombination process.

A multi-channel kinetic description is used to study the magnetic isotope effect (MIE) in zero magnetic field. The maximal isotope effect is equal to the number of channels, two for the hyperfine interaction but four for the electron spin dipole–dipole interaction of the intermediate radical pair. Quantum mechanical calculations agree with these conclusion and show that large MIE may be obtained even in the presence of a strong exchange interaction. The observed magnesium isotope effect on the rate of enzymatic synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is approximately 3 implying that the dipolar interaction is responsible for the effect. Our calculations provide support for the proposed mechanism.

The kinetics of rubrene (5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene) fluorescence quenching by energy transfer to the radicals of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-para-phenylenediamine (TMPD+*), tetracyanoquinonedimethane (TCNQ-*) and galvinoxyl (2,6-di-tert-butyl-alpha-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-oxo-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene)-p-tolyloxy; GAL*), have been measured in solvents of different viscosities. At room temperature the observed quenching rate constants vary between 0.12 and 7.8 x 10(10) M(-1) s(-1), always exceeding the diffusion rate constants given by the simplest version of Smoluchowski theory combined with the rate constants for dipole-dipole energy transfer. This discrepancy is explained by accounting for the non-stationary stage in the Förster kinetics, even though the experimental fluorescence decays are apparently mono-exponential.

The generating functions (GF) formalism was applied for calculation of spin density matrix evolution under the influence of periodic trains of RF pulses. It was shown that in a general case, closed expression for the generating function can be found that allows in many cases to derive analytical expressions for the generating function of spin density matrix (magnetization, coherences). This approach was shown to be particularly efficient for the analysis of multi-echo sequences, where one has to average over various frequency isochromats. The explicit analytical expressions for the generating function for echo amplitudes in a Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) echo sequence, a multiecho sequence with incremental phase of refocusing pulse, a gradient echo sequence including transient period were obtained for an arbitrary flip angle and an arbitrary resonance offset. Comparison of the theory and the spin-echo experiments was done, demonstrating a good agreement.

We suggest that intramolecular exchange coupling J in solutions can possibly be measured with just a ruler using an analogue of the nuclear magnetic resonance paramagnetic shift. If one of the two coupled electron spins is rapidly relaxing, the resulting electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum of the system is the resolved spectrum for the second spin with a shifted g-factor. The amount and the sense of the shift are both linear in J, which thus can be obtained from the measured shift by simple algebra. We prepared a set of complexes of rare-earth ions with nitroxides to probe this idea, but the sought effect was not yet found indicating J < 0.1 cm−1 for these systems. Either the radical centers should be brought closer to the central lanthanide ion, or the ion itself should be substituted for a rapidly relaxing transition-metal ion, e.g., Cr2+ or Co2+. Furthermore we report evolving EPR spectra that reflect the inner life of the complexes in solution.

A theoretical approach to analysis of magnetic structural phase transitions of chain polymer heterospin complexes is proposed. The approach is based on the model for spin-Peierls phase transition of chain exchange clusters. The type of the phase transition depends on the elastic constant of the chain.

A theoretical approach to the analysis of magnetostructural phase transitions of chain polymeric heterospin complexes is suggested. The approach is based on a model of the spin-Peierls transition in chains of exchange clusters. The chain elasticity parameter is found to be a main factor determining the order of phase transition.

Explicit non-recursive expressions for spin echo amplitudes have been derived for CPMG sequences with arbitrary refocusing flip angle.

A huge magnesium isotope effect on the rate of enzymatic synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has recently been reported. This indicates that the reaction involves an intermediate ion-radical pairs and should be sensitive to external magnetic fields. We have calculated the rate of ATP production based on a previously proposed molecular reaction mechanism. The calculated maximum isotope effect is in agreement with experiment. Magnetic field is predicted to increase the rate of ATP formation by 60% for samples enriched by magnetic magnesium ( 25 Mg) while decreasing the rate by 9% for naturally occurring samples.

A method is proposed to transfer spin order from para-hydrogen, that is, the H2 molecule in its singlet state, to spin-1/2 heteronuclei of a substrate molecule. The method is based on adiabatic passage through nuclear spin level anticrossings (LACs) in the doubly rotating frame of reference; the LAC conditions are fulfilled by applying resonant RF excitation at the NMR frequencies of protons and the heteronuclei. Efficient conversion of the para-hydrogen-induced polarization into net polarization of the heteronuclei is demonstrated; the achieved signal enhancements are about 6400 for (13)C nuclei at natural abundance. The theory behind the technique is described; advantages of the method are discussed in detail.

The chemically induced dynamic electron polarization (CIDEP) formed by spin-correlated radical pairs in nanotubes is studied theoretically. Numerical solutions of the stochastic Liouville equation of the density operator are obtained by finite-difference methods. The nanotube is modelled as a one-dimensional nanoreactor with the relative motion of the radicals assumed to be free diffusion. The effect of the non-averaged dipole–dipole interaction of the electron spins on the CIDEP formation is studied in detail. Furthermore, the influence of the radical mobility and the nanotube orientation with respect to the external magnetic field are elucidated.

Time-resolved chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) in sterically specific photoreactions of proteins with excited dye molecules is studied theoretically by means of the integral encounter theory. The protein is modeled as a chemically inert sphere with one small reactive spot, with steric factor f modeling a single accessible CIDNP-active amino acid residue on its surface. Kinetic equations describing the dye-quenching kinetics and the CIDNP time evolution are obtained, and the non-trivial f dependence of the rate constant of dye quenching, the geminate CIDNP intensity, the radical recombination rate constant and the nuclear T 1 relaxation time are studied. Protein CIDNP kinetics are compared with those of free amino acids.

The double-channel recombination and separation of the photochemically created singlet radical pair is investigated, taking into account the spin conversion in a zero magnetic field and the arbitrary initial distance between the radicals. The quantum yields of the singlet and triplet products and the free radicals production are found analytically, assuming that the recombination of the diffusing radicals occurs at contact. All the yields are related to the singlet and triplet populations of the recombining radical pair, subjected to spin conversion and contact exchange interaction. The general analytical expressions for the quantum yields are specified for the particular limits of the weak and strong exchange. They are greatly simplified in the case of polar solvents, especially at the contact start. A close similarity is obtained with the results of a previously developed incoherent model of spin conversion, provided that the conversion rate is appropriately related to the hyperfine coupling constant.

It is demonstrated that the shape of MAgnetic field effect on Reaction Yield (MARY) spectra depends substantially on the relative signs of the hyperfine coupling constants (HFC) of the constituents of the transient radical pair. The effect is exemplified in terms of the pyrene/benzene-1,4-dicarbonitrile system, the spin dynamics of which are calculated with rigorous account of all HFCs and the peculiarities caused by a degenerate electron exchange reaction. It is shown that MARY spectra calculated using the same sign for all HFCs and those obtained using the signs as predicted from ab initio calculations differ significantly with respect to the amplitude of the low magnetic field feature.

MARY and Optically Detected ESR techniques were used to infer that radical cation and radical anion of biphenyl in concentrated hexane solutions have substantially different second moments of their ESR spectra. This observation is interpreted in terms of different types of processes between the two radical ions and the neutral parent molecule. It is suggested that dimerization is prevalent for biphenyl radical cation, while biphenyl radical anion is rather involved in fast ion-molecular charge transfer reaction.