Cation and Anion Reorientation at Phase Transition in Pyridinium Tetrafluoroborate

Abstract

Abstract Temperature dependences of 1H and 19F second moment and spin-lattice relaxation times for polycrystalline pyridinium tetrafluoroborate were measured. A phase transition was discovered at 202 K. A model of cation reorientation between inequivalent (low-temperature phase) and equivalent (high-temperature phase) equilibrium positions is proposed. Whether the anion reorients isotropically or about a symmetry axis cannot be decided. An analysis of cross-relaxation effects yielded activation parameters for cation and anion reorientation. The rotational correlation times for both ions converge just at the phase transition reaching the value of 10-10s.