Line Shapes in Electron Spin Resonance Spectra

Abstract

The theory of the linewidths in the electron spin resonance spectra of free radicals recently developed by Freed and Fraenkel predicts that, in general, composite lines arising from a set of degenerate nuclear spin states should not be Lorentzian in shape, and that the shapes of different lines in the same spectrum should be different. The earlier theory of Kivelson predicted that all the lines should be Lorentzian. To test the differences between the two theories, experimental studies of the line shape in the spectrum of the tetracyanoethylene anion have been made in a solvent consisting of a mixture of absolute ethanol and glycerine. Different lines were found to have different shapes, and the shapes were well represented by a sum of Lorentzian-shaped components, in agreement with the newer theory. Studies of dimethylsulfoxide solutions of the p-benzosemiquinone ion were also made. The spectra obtained in this system show only small linewidth variations and, in agreement with the theory, the variations in line shape are negligible. It was also possible to demonstrate that the nitrogen hyperfine splitting aN in the tetracyanoethylene radical is positive.