Paramagnetic relaxation of radical cations in alkane solutions as measured by time-resolved magnetic field effects

Spin-lattice relaxation times of radical cations were measured by the decay of the time-resolved magnetic field effect in the recombination fluorescence of radical ion pairs in liquid hydrocarbons at high concentrations of solvent holes acceptor. The dependences of spin-lattice relaxation time on the magnetic field strength and solvent viscosity were studied. The results could not be explained in terms of the model of ion-molecular charge transfer involving monomeric or dimeric radical cations. The paramagnetic relaxation observed in a weak magnetic field is attributed to internal reorganizations of aggregates that originate from radical cations at high acceptor concentration.