Wave Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectra Research Articles

Suppression of Raman electron spin relaxation of radicals in crystals. Comparison of Cu2+ and free radical relaxation in triglycine sulfate and Tutton salt single crystals

Electron spin–lattice relaxation was measured by the electron spin echo method in a broad temperature range above 4.2 K for Cu2+ ions and free radicals produced by ionizing radiation in triglycine sulfate (TGS) and Tutton salt (NH4)2Zn(SO4)2 ⋅ 6H2O crystals. Localization of the paramagnetic centres in the crystal unit cells was determined from continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. Various spin relaxation processes and mechanisms are outlined. Cu2+ ions relax fast via two-phonon Raman processes in both crystals involving the whole phonon spectrum of the host lattice. This relaxation is slightly slower for TGS where Cu2+ ions are in the interstitial position. The ordinary Raman processes do not contribute to the radical relaxation which relaxes via the local phonon mode. The local mode lies within the acoustic phonon band for radicals in TGS but within the optical phonon range in (NH4)2Zn(SO4)2 ⋅ 6H2O. In the latter the cross-relaxation was considered. A lack of phonons around the radical molecules suggested a local crystal amorphisation produced by x- or γ-rays.

Simulation of Nitroxide Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectra from Brownian Trajectories and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

A simulated continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of a nitroxide spin label can be obtained from the Fourier transform of a free induction decay. It has been previously shown that the free induction decay can be calculated by solving the time-dependent stochastic Liouville equation for a set of Brownian trajectories defining the rotational dynamics of the label. In this work, a quaternion-based Monte Carlo algorithm has been developed to generate Brownian trajectories describing the global rotational diffusion of a spin-labeled protein. Also, molecular dynamics simulations of two spin-labeled mutants of T4 lysozyme, T4L F153R1, and T4L K65R1 have been used to generate trajectories describing the internal dynamics of the protein and the local dynamics of the spin-label side chain. Trajectories from the molecular dynamics simulations combined with trajectories describing the global rotational diffusion of the protein are used to account for all of the dynamics of a spin-labeled protein. Spectra calculated from these combined trajectories correspond well to the experimental spectra for the buried site T4L F153R1 and the helix surface site T4L K65R1. This work provides a framework to further explore the modeling of the dynamics of the spin-label side chain in the wide variety of labeling environments encountered in site-directed spin labeling studies.

Linewidth Analysis of Spin Labels in Liquids: II. Experimental

This work demonstrates that homogeneous linewidths can be extracted from continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and that they quantitatively agree with the predictions of existing relaxation theory. We suggest that relaxation theory can be used to predict experimental lineshapes provided that the simulations properly include sources of broadening. We have found that the rotational correlation times for spin labels in different percentages of glycerol/water mixtures are best modeled by a power law treatment for the viscosity, similar to that for translational diffusion. The translational diffusion coefficients themselves also have a power law dependence on the viscosity for glycerol/water mixtures. The linewidths were linearly dependent upon both the oxygen and the spin label concentration. The hyperfine splittings of all nuclei were observed to decrease linearly with increasing spin label concentration, completely at odds with existing theory which predicts a quadratic dependence upon concentration. The linear dependence was independent of hyperfine splitting until the magnitude of the hyperfine splitting was less than the homogeneous linewidth.

Computer Simulation of Magnetic Resonance Spectra Employing Homotopy

Multidimensional homotopy provides an efficient method for accurately tracing energy levels and hence transitions in the presence of energy level anticrossings and looping transitions. Herein we describe the application and implementation of homotopy to the analysis of continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. The method can also be applied to electron nuclear double resonance, electron spin echo envelope modulation, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and nuclear quadrupole resonance spectra.

Using nitroxide spin labels. How to obtain T1e from continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectra at all rotational rates

Historically, the continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) progressive saturation method has been used to obtain information on the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1e) and those processes, such as motion and spin exchange, that occur on a competitive timescale. For example, qualitative information on local dynamics and solvent accessibility of proteins and nucleic acids has been obtained by this method. However, making quantitative estimates of T1e from CW-EPR spectra have been frustrated by a lack of understanding of the role of T1e (and T2e) in the slow-motion regime. Theoretical simulation of the CW-EPR lineshapes in the slow-motion region under increasing power levels has been used in this work to test whether the saturation technique can produce quantitative estimates of the spin-lattice relaxation rates. A method is presented by which the correct T1e may be extracted from an analysis of the power-saturation rollover curve, regardless of the amount of inhomogeneous broadening or the rates of molecular reorientation. The range of motional correlation times from 10 to 200 ns should be optimal for extracting quantitative estimates of T1e values in spin-labeled biomolecules. The progressive-saturation rollover curve method should find wide application in those areas of biophysics where information on molecular interactions and solvent exposure as well as molecular reorientation rates are desired.

Direct simulation of continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectra from Brownian dynamics trajectories

A method is developed for the direct simulation of continuous wave electron paramagentic resonance (CW-EPR) line shapes from molecular trajectories. The method is applied to the cases of an axially symmetric nitroxide spin label undergoing two different types of motion (i) two-site jumping motion and (ii) isotropic rotational Brownian motion. Probabilistic models are developed that generate trajectories stable for large numbers of evolution time steps. Spectra at both 10 (X band) and 35 (Q band) GHz of satisfactory quality are generated from 40 trajectories of 214 steps sampled at 0.05 ns intervals. The resulting calculations illustrate that this method can be used as a basis of CW-EPR spectral simulation for systems undergoing arbitrarily complex dynamics using trajectories generated by classical Brownian dynamics.

An automated method to find the proper modulation phase in continuous wave EPR spectroscopy

Modulation of the do magnetic field is universally employed in the acquisition of continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectra, which includes linear and saturation transfer (ST) EPR spectra. Modem two-channel lock-in analyzers produce two components which are at angles θ and θ + 90° with respect to the modulation reference. Experimentally it is often desired to choose θ such that the quadrature signal is “minimized,” so that the in-phase signal exhibits the maximum signal-to-noise ratio. This is called phase nulling. In this paper we provide a quantitative definition to the concept of a “minimized quadrature signal,” using a least-squares criterion, and derive a formula which enables computation of θ which is then used to generate proper in-phase and quadrature signals. Furthermore, an expression is derived for the error in θ which is of particular interest when acquiring STEPR spectra. The formulas are noniterative and can be easily programmed to rapidly and automatically phase null signals after acquisition.