Studies of molecular motions in the three phases of 1,1′,2,2′-tetrachloroferrocene by Mössbauer and1H-NMR spectroscopy

The molecular motions in the three phases of 1,1′,2,2′-tetrachloroferrocene below m.p. were studied by using⁵⁷Fe-Mossbauer and¹H FT-NMR spectroscopy. In the plastic phase at the low temperature, a rotational mode around the pseudo C₅ molecular axis was found to be activated with activation energy of 15 kJ/mol and in the higher temperature phase the rotational mode of the pseudo C₅ axis itself was found to be activated with activation energy of 23 kJ/mol in addition to the rotational mode around the pseudo C₅ axis. On the⁵⁷Fe-Mossbauer spectra, a steep decrease of the areal intensity was observed above the first transition temperature. The areal intensity in the lower plastic phase was estimated to be less than a few percent relative to that at 298 K. The results were discussed in terms of different possibilities for the movement of the molecules.