1H and 19F spin-lattice relaxation and CH3 or CF3 reorientation in molecular solids containing both H and F atoms

The dynamics of methyl (CH3) and fluoromethyl (CF3) groups in organic molecular (van der Waals) solids can be exploited to survey their local environments. We report solid state H-1 and F-19 spin-lattice relaxation experiments in polycrystalline 3-trifluoromethoxycinnamic acid, along with an X-ray diffraction determination of the molecular and crystal structure, to investigate the intramolecular and intermolecular interactions that determine the properties that characterize the CF3 reorientation. The molecule is of no particular interest; it simply provides a motionless backbone (on the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) time scale) to investigate CF3 reorientation occurring on the NMR time scale. The effects of F-19-F-19 and F-19-H-1 spin-spin dipolar interactions on the complicated nonexponential NMR relaxation provide independent inputs into determining a model for CF3 reorientation. As such, these experiments provide much more information than when only one spin species (usually 1H) is present. In Sec. IV, which can be read immediately after the Introduction without reading the rest of the paper, we compare the barrier to CH3 and CF3 reorientation in seven organic solids and separate this barrier into intramolecular and intermolecular components. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.