Field-Dependent Proton NMR Relaxation in Aqueous Solutions of Ni(II) Ions. A New Interpretation

A new model is presented for nuclear-spin relaxation in paramagnetic transition metal complexes in solution, allowing the electron-spin relaxation to be outside the Redfield limit. The novel feature is that the transient zero-field splitting (ZFS), modulated by distortions of the solvation shell, is allowed to be of rhombic rather than cylindrical symmetry. The model, which assumes that the static ZFS is absent, is applicable to aqueous solutions of transition metal ions. The magnetic-field dependence of the proton spin–lattice relaxation rate enhancement in aqueous solution has been investigated, and calculations are presented for anS= 1 system such as Ni²⁺(aq), using different degrees of rhombicity of the ZFS and different motional conditions (Redfield limit and slow-motion regime). The new model is also applied to fit the previously reported data for the field dependence of proton relaxation in aqueous solution of Ni(ClO₄)₂at low pH [J. Kowalewski, T. Larsson, and P.-O. Westlund,J. Magn. Reson.74, 56 (1987)]. The inclusion of rhombicity, motivated by recent theoretical work, provides a model which performs as well as the earlierad hocmodel.