Molecular dynamics in solid anhydrous beta-estradiol studied by 1H NMR.

Proton second moment and spin-lattice relaxation times T1 and T1p in solid anhydrous beta-estradiol are measured as a function of temperature. The results show that the C3 reorientation of the single methyl group provides the mechanism dominating relaxation at low temperatures and reveal the existence of a conformational motion of the carbon skeleton dominating relaxation at high temperatures. The activation energies of the respective motions are found to be 9.3 and 37.3 kJ/mol.