Features of Spin Exchange in Short-Chain Nitroxide Biradicals in Ionic Liquids

The intramolecular electron spin exchange has been studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in the room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (bmimPF₆) and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (omimBF₄) for three nitroxide biradicals with analogous structures of the connecting bridge between two >N–O· centers as a function of temperature. Temperature variations of the isotropic nitrogen hyperfine splitting constant a, and exchange integral values |J/a| were determined from EPR spectra and analyzed. Thermodynamic parameters of the conformational rearrangements were obtained. The spin exchange in rather rigid short-chain biradicals dissolved in omimBF₄ and bmimPF₆ was compared with that in toluene solutions. Interesting features of the spin exchange in biradicals in RTIL were observed and explained as a result of the specific intramolecular conformational transitions. Examples when rather rigid biradical molecules become flexible under an influence of RTIL are reported.