Proton nuclear-magnetic-resonance study of low-spin ferriprotoporphyrin(IX) dimethyl ester.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance shifts, spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times have been measured of low-spin bis-pyridine ferriprotoporphyrin(IX) dimethyl ester in chloroform. From the relaxation behavior the hyperfine coupling constant has been obtained and the contact term of the chemical shift was calculated. Deviations between measured and calculated chemical shifts may be attributed to second-order Zeeman interactions. The geometry of pyridine coordinated to the fifth and sixth position of ferriprotoporphyrin(IX) dimethyl ester was estimated from measured relaxation rates. From the non-exponential decay of the Mz magnetization a mean lifetime of taub = 50 ms for pyridine attached to low-spin ferriprotoporphyrin(IX) dimethyl ester was found at 253 K.