The magnetic behaviour of VO2 is studied from high-field V-51 NMR data. It
is shown, that transition from the metal to an insulator state in VO2 is ac
companied by the change of the electronic state 2V(4+) <-> V3+ + V5+, and w
ith the presence of two structurally and chemically different vanadium ions
V3+ and V5+. The low-temperature modification of vanadium dioxide is a Van
Vleck paramagnet. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.