Muons as hyperfine interaction probes in chemistry
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Muons as hyperfine interaction probes in chemistry Khashayar Ghandi · Amy MacLean
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
Abstract Spin polarized positive muons injected in matter serve as magnetic probes for the investigation of physical and chemical properties of free radicals, mechanisms of free radical reactions and their formations, and radiation effects. All muon techniques rely on the evolution of spin polarization (of the muon) and in that respect are similar to conventional magnetic resonance techniques. The applications of the muon as a hyperfine probe in several fields in chemistry are described. Keywords Free radicals · Muonium · Muon · Radiation chemistry · Hyperfine interactions
Outline In designing new materials and chemical processes, it is of paramount importance to understand what is happening at an atomic level. Muon techniques provide a unique glance at such microscopic properties, given the kinetic time window which they can probe, as well as their extreme sensitivity to local magnetic and electronic environments. The applications of muon spectroscopy are far reaching, from nuclear reactor development to targeted cancer treatments to green industrial processes. Many and more of these applications will be discussed in this brief review. This review paper includes the following: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
A very brief review of the muon with references to muon literature. An explanation of the muon as a probe of free radical kinetics. The futuristic aspects of the muon as a probe of free radical kinetics. The muon as a hyperfine probe of hydrogen atoms in different materials. The muon as a probe of the mechanisms of free radical reactions.
Proceedings of the 5th Joint International Conference on Hyperfine Interactions and International Symposium on Nuclear Quadrupole Interactions (HFI/NQI 2014), Canberra, Australia, 21–26 September 2014 K. Ghandi () · A. MacLean Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada e-mail: [email protected]
K. Ghandi, A. MacLean
Fig. 1 Muonium (Mu) from a chemical perspective is considered an isotope of the H atom. Electronic properties of Mu and the H atom are compared here
This review is by no means all-inclusive and it only summarizes some of the representative recent works in the above list. For a more detailed review of the muon and muon techniques, see ref [1]. Several recent reviews referred to in [1] provide comprehensive overviews of other aspects not covered in this review (such as applications to soft matter and surfaces).
1 The positive muon, muonium, and muoniated free radicals The positive muon, μ+ , is an elementary particle that, in the context of this review, is best regarded as a light proton with one-ninth the proton mass. Like the proton, it is a spin-1/2 particle. Its magnetic moment is 3.18334 larger than the magnetic moment of the proton, making it useful as a magnetic probe of matter. Muon spectroscopy techniques are based on muon spin evolution in the presence of transverse or longitudinal mag
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