What is it about?
Stable radicals, i.e. molecules with unpaired electrons, are used to enhance the sensibility of nuclear magnetic resonance by a process called dynamic nuclear polarization. Some of the more popular radicals are based on trityl groups (a radical carbon stabilized by three aromatic rings). Bulky substituents prevent access to the radical and increase their life time. The substituted trityls are forming supramolecular capsule-like dimers.
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Why is it important?
The coupling of the radicals in the dimer affect the capacity of trityl radials to act as polarization sources for dynamic nuclear polarization. Supramolecular poly radical species may form new materials with applications in various fields such as quantum computing or spintronics because the spontaneous assembly of coupled electronic spins may be modulated by its environment.
Perspectives
Supramolecular containers formed by the spontaneous dimerization by interdigitation of the borders of two concave hemispheres are well known, for example in the calixarene field. The capsules presented in this paper similarly involve interdigitation of the interacting parts. Notoriuosly, they result in the approximation of unpaired electrons.
Professor Miquel Pons
Miquel Pons
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Self-assembled trityl radical capsules – implications for dynamic nuclear polarization, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, January 2015, Royal Society of Chemistry,
DOI: 10.1039/c4cp05225k.
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