Intramolecular reorientation, an electron spin relaxation process in solutions of discrete paramagnetic transition-metal complexes

Time modulation of the g-tensor by intramolecular reorientation between structurally equivalent molecular arrangements is postulated to dominate electron spin relaxation in solutions of some paramagnetic transition-metal complexes. The process is treated theoretically and it is shown that the resulting electron spin relaxation time depends on the correlation time for intramolecular reorientation. The temperature dependence of the nuclear T1 thus yields information concerning the potential energy profile for intramolecular reorientation. Experimental results on the field dependence of the temperature dependence of T1 of the methyl proton in Ru(acac)3 are in accord with the theory.