(119)Sn Spin-Lattice Relaxation in Alpha-SnF(2)

The temperature and magnetic field dependencies of the (119)Sn nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate in alpha-SnF(2) indicate the presence of two relaxation mechanisms. At temperatures below 350 K, the relaxation is dominated by a nuclear spin-rotation interaction modulated by lattice vibrations, as has been seen for Pb and Tl salts. This (119)Sn relaxation pathway is less effective in SnF(2) than it is for (207)Pb, (203)Tl, and (205)Tl relaxation in some Pb and Tl salts but it is more effective than (111)Cd and (113)Cd relaxation in some Cd salts. Above 350 K, there is an additional contribution to the observed relaxation rate. The most likely candidate for this thermally activated contribution is the modulation of the (119)Sn-(19)F dipolar interaction by fluoride-ion motion