ABSTRACT
Interest in NMR relaxation parameters has shown a dramatic increase in the past 25 years. This interest has developed for a number of reasons, probably the most important being that it is essential for one to have a knowledge of nuclear relax ation rates in order to use efficiently a pulse Fourier transform NMR spectrome ter. Furthermore, it is generally relatively easy to measure NMR relaxation parameters using such a spectrometer. The ease with which relaxation parameters can be measured has enabled spectroscopists to demonstrate and, to some extent, rediscover that these parameters are capable of providing important dynamic in formation such as ( 1) molecular rotational and angular-momentum correlation times, T2 and τy, respectively, (2) translational diffusion constants, and (3) interand intramolecular exchange rates. The dependence of some relaxation parame ters on nuclear-nuclear separations (bond lengths) allows one to use these para meters to assist in the determination of molecular structure.