NMRrelaxatie

NMR relaxatie refers to the process by which nuclear spins in a sample return to their thermal equilibrium state after being perturbed by radiofrequency pulses in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This recovery process is characterized by two distinct time constants: T1, also known as spin-lattice relaxation, and T2, spin-spin relaxation. T1 describes the time it takes for the net magnetization along the z-axis to recover to its equilibrium value. This involves energy exchange with the surrounding molecular environment, the "lattice." T2, on the other hand, describes the decay of the transverse magnetization, which is perpendicular to the main magnetic field. This decay is primarily due to interactions between neighboring spins and is typically faster than T1. The rates of T1 and T2 relaxation are highly dependent on factors such as molecular size, viscosity, temperature, and the presence of paramagnetic species. These relaxation times are crucial parameters in NMR spectroscopy, providing valuable information about molecular dynamics, structure, and environment. Different NMR pulse sequences are designed to selectively measure T1 and T2 values, which are then used in various applications like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the study of complex biological molecules.