ESR studies of X-irradiated strontium mixed calcium tartrate crystals Original Research Article

The electron spin resonance spectra of X-ray irradiated single crystals of strontium doped calcium tartrate tetrahydrate (CST) with molecular formula Ca0.88Sr0.12C4H4O6·4H2O grown in gels has been investigated. Only one species of free radical but with two magnetically unequivalent sites was observed at room temperature. The free radical was found to be the result of the splitting of a C–H bond adjacent to both the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. The g factor was found to be slightly anisotropic. Couplings with two H nuclei, believed to be the proton of the OH group attached directly to the unsaturated asymmetric carbon atom and the proton attached directly to the other asymmetric carbon atom of the molecule were observed. The principal g-values were found to be 2.0030, 2.0017, 2.0027. The principal elements of the nuclear coupling are 7.45, 6.59, 4.28 and 8.56, 7.22, 18.71 G, respectively. The radical was found to be very stable.