With the view of understanding the low frequency (40–50 cm−1) motional processes in L-alanine around 4 K, we have carried out heat capacity and electron spin echo (ESE) measurements on L-alanine and L-alanine- The obtained data show the so-called boson peak (seen as a maximum in versus T plots) in the low temperature region (1.8–20 K). The phase memory time, and spin lattice relaxation time, of the spin probe, the so-called first stable alanine radical (SAR1), have been measured between 4 and 105 K. The obtained relaxation rate shows an anomalous increase which coincides with the emergence of a boson peak in the low temperature region (4–20 K). Together, the ESE and the data confirm the existence of a thermally activated dynamic orientational disorder in the lattices of both compounds below 20 K. The results help explain the discrepancy between the data from powders and single crystals of alanine, as well as the proanomalous relaxation mechanisms for SAR1 in these lattices, and they also provide a mechanism for the spin-lattice relaxation process for SAR1 at cryogenic temperatures.
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8 April 2004
Research Article|
March 25 2004
Heat capacity and electron spin echo evidence for low frequency vibrational modes and lattice disorder in L-alanine at cryogenic temperatures
B. Rakvin;
B. Rakvin
Ruder Bošković Institute, P.O. Box 180, 10002, Zagreb, Croatia
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N. Maltar-Strmečki;
N. Maltar-Strmečki
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, P.O. Box 466, 10002, Zagreb, Croatia
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C. M. Ramsey;
C. M. Ramsey
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
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N. S. Dalal
N. S. Dalal
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
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J. Chem. Phys. 120, 6665–6673 (2004)
Article history
Received:
May 14 2003
Accepted:
January 14 2004
Citation
B. Rakvin, N. Maltar-Strmečki, C. M. Ramsey, N. S. Dalal; Heat capacity and electron spin echo evidence for low frequency vibrational modes and lattice disorder in L-alanine at cryogenic temperatures. J. Chem. Phys. 8 April 2004; 120 (14): 6665–6673. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1666107
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