Exploring complex CIDEP of p-benzosemiquinones with time resolved CW-EPR

The time and magnetic field dependent magnetization of polarized signals in the presence of chemically induced magnetization transfer is described by means of a kinetic matrix incorporated into the Bloch equations. The approach is transformed into a computer algorithm accounting for all hyperfine lines present in the system. Solutions are readily obtained by numerical methods. Calculations are applied to the time resolved EPR (TR-EPR) spectroscopic signals of p-benzoquinone after laser flash photolysis. In an aqueous alcoholic solution at pH 2.0, chemical exchange via intermolecular proton transfer is found present between neutral semiquinones. At pH 8.3, the TR-EPR spectrum shows only a uniform signal of the semiquinone. At pH 5.4, a superposition of neutral and anionic radicals is observed together with a protonation-deprotonation equilibrium. A two-step hydrogen atom transfer, consisting of electron transfer followed by protonation, is proposed to account for the formation of both neutral and anionic semiquinone species prior to observation. Experiments in partly deuterated solvent mixtures indicate the existence of three semiquinone forms: BQH^?, BQ^?-, and BQD^? prior to observation. The origin of the proton/deuteron transferred to the anion radical in the precursor state is discussed.