Date Awarded

1999

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Physics

Advisor

Gina L Hoatson

Abstract

An efficient method for calculating NMR lineshapes from anisotropic second rank tensor interactions is presented. The algorithm produces lineshapes from asymmetric tensors by summing those from symmetric tensors. This approach significantly reduces the calculation time, greatly facilitating iterative nonlinear least squares fitting of experimental spectra. This algorithm has been modified to produce partially relaxed lineshapes and spectra of partially ordered samples.;Calculations for rapidly spinning samples show that spin-lattice relaxation time ( T1Z ) anisotropy varies with the angle between the spinning axis and the external field. When the rate of molecular motion is in the extreme narrowing limit, measurement of T1Z anisotropies for two different values of the spinning angle allows the determination of two linear combinations of the three static spectral densities, J0(0), J1(0) and J2(0). Experimental results for ferrocene demonstrate the utility of these linear combinations in the investigation of molecular dynamics with natural abundance 13C NMR. For ferrocene-d 10, deuteron T1Z and quadrupolar order relaxation time ( T1Q ) anisotropies, along with the relaxation time of the 13C magic angle spinning (MAS) peak, provide sufficient information to determine the orientation dependence of all three individual spectral densities. The experimental results include the first determination of J 0(0) in a solid sample.;A variety of experimental techniques were used in an investigation of the polyimides LaRC-IA, LaRC-TPI and LaRC-SI and related model compounds. Magic angle spinning was used to acquire 13C isotropic chemical shift spectra of these materials. The spectra were assigned as completely as possible. In addition, the principal components of some shielding tensors were measured using variable angle correlation spectroscopy. of those studied, LaRC-SI is the only polymer that is soluble. However, after it is heated past its glass transition temperature, LaRC-SI becomes insoluble. Experiments were performed in an attempt to identify causes of this behavior. 1H and 13C NMR spectra of soluble and insoluble LaRC-SI are significantly different when magnetization from nuclei in rigid regions of the polymer is suppressed. Hydration studies of LaRC-SI and LaRC-IA show that absorbed water plasticizes these polymers.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-9hyk-ky63

Rights

© The Author

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