L-1-Chloro-4-phenyl-3-tosylamido[1-13C]butan-2-one (Tos-[1-13C]Phe-CH2Cl) and Tos-[1-13C,2H2]Phe-CH2Cl were prepared and used to alkylate delta-chymotrypsin. The relaxation parameters of the 13C-n.m.r. signal resulting from the alkylation of histidine-57 in both enzyme-inhibitor complexes were determined at 1.88 T and 6.34 T as well as the spin-lattice relaxation times of the backbone alpha-carbon atoms of the unenriched Tos-Phe-CH2-delta-chymotrypsin complex. It is concluded that the species examined do not have significant internal librational motions and that the rotational correlation time of the monomeric enzyme-inhibitor complex is 16.0 +/- 3.2 ns. The signal from the 13C-enriched atom of Tos-[1-13C,2H2]Phe-CH2Cl is split into a quintet (JCD = 23 Hz) whereas in the Tos-[1-13C,2H2]Phe-CH2-delta-chymotrypsin complex the signal from the 13C-enriched inhibitor carbon atom is decoupled. This decoupled signal had linewidths of 16 +/- 3 Hz and 52 +/- 2 Hz at 1.88 T and 6.34 T respectively, whereas linewidths at 40 +/- 2 Hz and 53 +/- 4 Hz were obtained for the same signal in the Tos-[1-13C]Phe-CH2-delta-chymotrypsin complex at 1.88 T and 6.34 T respectively. Therefore whereas deuteration produces a 2.5-fold reduction in linewidth at 1.88 T there is no significant decrease in the linewidth at 6.34 T. This result is explained by using the rigid rotor model, which predicts that the quadrupolar spin-lattice relaxation rate will be faster at low field strengths, resulting in more efficient deuterium decoupling by scalar relaxation of the second kind at lower field strengths. It is also predicted that deuterium decoupling by scalar relaxation will become less efficient as rotational correlation times increase. The consequences of these predictions for the detection of 13C-enriched atomic probes of proteins are discussed. It is also shown that a spin-echo pulse sequence can be used to remove signals due to protonated carbon atoms without attenuating the signal due to deuterated carbon atoms.