Germanium-centered free radicals studied by muon spin spectroscopy

Transverse-field muon spin rotation (TF-μSR) spectra have been recorded for free radicals formed by positive muon irradiation of nine different divalent germanium compounds. Muon-electron hyperfine coupling constants (Aμ) were determined from the spectra and compared with values predicted from density functional theory molecular orbital (DFT-MO) calculations on the muoniated radicals formed by muonium addition to the germanium atom. The muon hyperfine constants for germylenes containing N–Ge bonds are generally quite large, from 593 to 942 MHz, indicating strong interaction between the muon and the unpaired electron in these radicals. The radical derived from one of the germylenes exhibited a significantly lower muon hyperfine constant, suggesting that in this case the muoniated germyl radical undergoes a coupling reaction to form a digermanyl radical, which is what is detected by μSR.