Study of the ferroelastic phase transition in the tetraethylammonium compound [N(C2H5)4]2ZnBr4 by magic-angle spinning and static NMR

The ferroelastic phase transition of tetraethylammonium compound [N(C2H5)4]2ZnBr4 at the phase transition temperature (TC) = 283 K was characterized by magic-angle spinning (MAS) and static nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and confirmed by optical polarizing spectroscopy. The structural geometry near TC was studied in terms of the chemical shifts and the spin-lattice relaxation times T1ρ in the rotating frame for 1H MAS NMR and 13C cross-polarization (CP)/MAS NMR. The two inequivalent ethyl groups were distinguishable in the 13C NMR spectrum, and the T1ρ results indicate that they undergo tumbling motion above TC in a coupled manner. From the 14N NMR results, the two nitrogen nuclei in the N(C2H5)4+ ions were distinguishable above TC, and the splitting in the spectra below TC was related to the ferroelastic domains with different orientations.