<p>This thesis presents quantum chemical calculations, applications of the response function formalism recently implemented within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) by our research group. The purpose of the calculations is to assess the performance of this perturbative approach to determining heavy atom effects on magnetic resonance parameters. Relativistic corrections can be generated by spin-orbit interactions or by scalar relativistic effects due to high velocity electrons in the atomic core region of heavy atoms. In this work, the evaluation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters is considered, the nuclear shielding tensor and the indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling tensor. For series of homologous compounds, it is found that both types of corrections to these parameters are increasing in size upon substitution of a constituent atom by a heavier element, but that their relative importance is system dependent. The obtained results are compatible with the ones provided by electron correlated <em>ab initio</em> methods, and a qualitative agreement with experimentally determined parameters is overall achieved. The methodology presented in this thesis aims to be a practical approach which can be applied in the study of molecular properties of large systems.</p><p>This thesis also addresses the calculation of hyperfine coupling constants, and evaluates a novel approach to the treatment of spin-polarization in spin restricted calculations without the spin contamination associated with spin unrestricted calculations.</p>

Abstract The subjects of this thesis are the dynamics of liquid crystals in external electric and magnetic fields as well as the magnetic properties of small molecules, both studied by liquid crystal nuclear magnetic resonance (LC NMR) spectroscopy. Director dynamics of a liquid crystal 5CB in external magnetic and electric fields was studied by deuterium NMR and spectral simulations. A new theory was developed to explain the peculiar oscillations observed in the experimental spectra collected during fast director rotation. A spectral simulation program based on this new theory was developed and the outcome of the simulations was compared with the experimental results to verify the tenability of the theory. In the studies on the properties of small solute molecules, LC NMR was utilised to obtain information about anisotropic nuclear magnetic interaction tensors. The nuclear magnetic shielding tensor was studied in methyl halides, the spin-spin coupling tensor in methyl mercury halides and the quadrupolar coupling tensor in deuterated benzenes. The effects of small-amplitude molecular motions and solvent interactions on the obtained parameters were considered in each case. Finally, the experimental results were compared to the corresponding computational NMR parameters calculated in parallel with the experimental work.

This thesis presents quantum chemical calculations, applications of the response function formalism recently implemented within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) by our research group. The purpose of the calculations is to assess the performance of this perturbative approach to determining heavy atom effects on magnetic resonance parameters. Relativistic corrections can be generated by spin-orbit interactions or by scalar relativistic effects due to high velocity electrons in the atomic core region of heavy atoms. In this work, the evaluation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters is considered, the nuclear shielding tensor and the indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling tensor. For series of homologous compounds, it is found that both types of corrections to these parameters are increasing in size upon substitution of a constituent atom by a heavier element, but that their relative importance is system dependent. The obtained results are compatible with the ones provided by electron correlated ab initio methods, and a qualitative agreement with experimentally determined parameters is overall achieved. The methodology presented in this thesis aims to be a practical approach which can be applied in the study of molecular properties of large systems. This thesis also addresses the calculation of hyperfine coupling constants, and evaluates a novel approach to the treatment of spin-polarization in spin restricted calculations without the spin contamination associated with spin unrestricted calculations. / QC 20101122