To further comprehend the process, the same experiments using 370 nm light were carried out with NMR samples. To our surprise, the NMR samples failed to lock and indicated strong paramagnetism. This clearly pointed towards the formation of the radical species. This was later found to be indeed the case from the EPR studies (see later). It was also important to note that the radical species was found to form in DMF as solvent. Solvents such as chloroform or acetonitrile did not generate the radical.