Fast intramolecular dynamics of triphenyl phosphite investigated by 2H NMR

The first analysis of rapid intramolecular motions of triphenyl phosphite by ²H NMR is presented. The fragile slowing down of the primary relaxation is followed by a solid-echo method. The occurrence of a fast reorientation of the phenyl side groups is demonstrated in the supercooled liquid state, identified as a two-fold flip on the basis of simple lineshape simulations. Coexistence of both static and motionally averaged components in “two phase” spectra indicate a broad distribution of correlation times for this relaxation. This dynamical behavior is shown to persist in the glacial phase. Received 28 May 2002 / Received in final form 1st October 2002 Published online 31 December 2002