Abstract

The first experimental and theoretical study of the N⋅⋅⋅⋅N spin-pair radical is reported. Its high-resolution ESR (electron spin resonance) spectrum has been observed in neon matrices and interpreted on the basis of weakly interacting atoms using a model recently developed for the H⋅⋅⋅⋅H spin-pair. To fully interpret the N⋅⋅⋅⋅N radical results it was necessary to include electronic state mixing effects among all possible spin states, namely the 1Σg+, 3Σu+, 5Σg+, and 7Σu+ states. Several different trapping sites were observed which indicated the interaction of N atoms at distinctly different separation distances in the neon lattice. Calculated J values at the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) level (TZP basis set) were compared with the experimental results for the various trapping site distances. The 15N⋅⋅⋅⋅15N radical in the dominant trapping site had magnetic parameters of g=2.0016(2), A(15N)=15.9(1) MHz, D=−178(1)MHz and J=468(2) MHz. Using the point dipole approximation this corresponds to a N⋅⋅⋅⋅N separation distance of 6.41 Å. A most unusual type of magnetic dipole transition was observed that involves a transition between electronic states of formally different S values where S is the total spin quantum number for a given electronic state.

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