A formalism is presented permitting the evaluation of the relative mean-squared displacement of molecules from the intermolecular contribution to spin-lattice relaxation dispersion of dipolar coupled spins. The only condition for the applicability is the subdiffusive power law character of the time dependence of the mean-squared displacement as it is typical for the chain mode regime in polymer liquids. Using field-cycling NMR relaxometry, an effective diffusion time range from nano- to almost milliseconds can be probed. The intermolecular spin-lattice relaxation contribution can be determined with the aid of isotopic dilution, that is, mixtures of undeuterated and deuterated molecules. Experiments have been performed with melts of polyethyleneoxide and polybutadiene. The mean-squared segment displacements have been evaluated as a function of time over five decades. The data can be described by a power law. The extrapolation to the much longer time scale of ordinary field-gradient NMR diffusometry gives good coincidence with literature data. The total time range thus covers nine decades.

Proton and deuteron field-cycling NMR relaxometry was applied to deuterated and undeuterated bulk polyethyleneoxide and polybutadiene melts and mixtures thereof with molecular weights above the critical value. Spin-lattice relaxation data due to intrasegment (quadrupolar) couplings and intra- and interchain (dipolar) interactions were evaluated. Diverse dynamic limits are identified both with the proton and deuteron frequency dispersion data. The comparison between the intrachain and the interchain contributions leads to the conclusion that only model theories based on largely isotropic chain dynamics can account for the experimental findings. The extremely anisotropic character of the well-known tube/reptation model is too restrictive in this respect.

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