Spin Relaxation in Nematic Solvents

Abstract

The electron spin relaxation processes for oblate and prolate symmetric top paramagnetic probes dissolved in liquid crystals are studied by solving the diffusion equation for molecules subjected to an orienting potential, expressed as a series expansion of Legendre polynomials. The line shape variations upon ordering have been calculated for vanadyl complexes and nitroxide radicals, and the effect of the contributions of quadratic and quartic terms of the potential energy function, and of the diffusion tensor anisotropy have been examined.