19F N.M.R. and 127I N.M.R. and N.Q.R. study of the molecular motions and deformations of iodine heptafluoride in its solid phases

In solid IF₇, ¹⁹F and ¹²⁷I N.M.R. and ¹²⁷I N.Q.R. absorption line shapes, frequencies and relaxation times have been studied from the melting temperature down to 56 K. Two new solid-solid transitions have been found at 180 K and 96 K in addition to the one already known at 153 K. The two high temperature phases are shown to be plastic. The fast molecular rotations and the slow molecular diffusion are studied from ¹⁹F and ¹²⁷I relaxation times. In the ordered phases, an analysis of the ¹⁹F second moments and longitudinal relaxation times shows the existence of a fast intramolecular exchange between axial and equatorial fluorine atoms, together with a much faster reorientation about the D ₅ axis. The characteristic times of these two motions are obtained and a mechanism for the exchange process is proposed. The chemical shift values of ¹²⁷I, the temperature dependence of the N.Q.R. frequencies and of the N.Q.R. relaxation times of ¹²⁷I, as well as the dipolar energy relaxation times have been measured and are discussed.