Importance of cross-correlated relaxation in the spectra of simple organofluorine compounds: Spectral complexity of A3B3X spin systems compared to ABX spin systems

In a continuation of our initial investigation of the complex 13C and 19F spectra exhibited by two simple organofluorine compounds, additional organofluorine compounds expected to exhibit a wide range of spectral complexity were studied. Spectral simulations are critical for analyzing the more complex spin systems, in particular, A3B3X and A6B3X. Cross-correlated relaxation is commonly observed; examples of 13C19F cross-correlated relaxation are shown with the signals for each nucleus exhibiting unequal relaxation rates. Higher order effects are particularly noticeable in the spectra of perfluoro-t-butyl alcohol because of a large 4JFF value in the (13CF3)(12CF3)212COH isotopomer. The many additional transitions in an A3B3X spin system compared to an ABX spin system result in much more complex 19F (A3 and B3) and 13C (X) spectra, even though only three types of nuclei are involved in each spin system. The corresponding protio compounds typically constitute a much simpler A3M3X spin system because the long-range nJHH coupling (n ⩾ 4) is much smaller than the corresponding long-range nJFF coupling. Spectra previously published for ethane-1-13C (A3B3X) and hexafluoroethane-1-13C (A3M3X) are notable exceptions and are discussed.