Multinuclear MRI of Solids: from Structure to Transport

Direct multinuclear imaging of rigid solids has been performed using the conventional two-pulse spin-echo pulse sequence and liquids magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) hardware. Two-dimensional ²⁷Al and ⁵¹V images of an Al₂O₃-V₂O₅-glass composite sample and ¹¹B, ²³Na, ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si images of glass have been detected, extending the range of nuclei and solid materials that can be studied by this approach. For a spinning cylinder packed with Al₂O₃ powder, quantitative velocity maps have been obtained by directly detecting the ²⁷Al nuclear magnetic resonance signal of the solid phase. The two velocity components in the imaging plane transverse to the rotation axis have been mapped using the three-pulse stimulated echo sequence. Some possibilities to improve sensitivity in the MRI experiments on rigid solids have been considered. In particular, inversion of the satellite transitions by a double frequency sweep adiabatic passage has led to a signal enhancement by a factor of two in ²⁷Al MRI of a glass sample despite a short repetition time (0.5 s) of the imaging pulse sequence. Authors' address: Igor V. Koptyug, International Tomography Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 3A Institutskaya ulitsa, Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation     

Low-Frequency Dynamics of Charge Carriers in CuAlO2 Semiconductor According to NMR Data

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - The 63Cu and 27Al NMR spectra have been obtained on a polycrystalline CuAlO2 sample in external magnetic field H0 = 92.8 kOe in temperature range...     

27Al satellite transition spectroscopy (SATRAS) of polycrystalline aluminum borate 9Al2O3.2B2O3.

27Al NMR spectra of polycrystalline aluminum borate 9Al2O3.2B2O3 have been measured at 104, 130 and 156 MHz. The parameters of the quadrupole interaction and the isotropic chemical shifts have been obtained by fitting the CT/MAS pattern and consideration of the inner satellite transitions m = 3/2<-->1/2 and m = - 1/2<-->- 3/2. The gain in spectral resolution concerned with the observation of the MAS lines of the inner satellites leads to complete separation of the signals of AlO6, AlO5 and AlO4 polyhedra. Also signals of structural groups of one and the same coordination number can be distinguished. Experimental and theoretical lineshape calculations are compared.     

Effects of T2-relaxation in MAS NMR spectra of the satellite transitions for quadrupolar nuclei: a 27Al MAS and single-crystal NMR study of alum KAl(SO4)2.12H2O

Asymmetries in the manifold of spinning sidebands (ssbs) from the satellite transitions have been observed in variable-temperature 27Al MAS NMR spectra of alum (KAl(SO4)2.12H2O), recorded in the temperature range from -76 to 92 degrees C. The asymmetries decrease with increasing temperature and reflect the fact that the ssbs exhibit systematically different linewidths for different spectral regions of the manifold. From spin-echo 27Al NMR experiments on a single-crystal of alum, it is demonstrated that these variations in linewidth originate from differences in transverse (T2) relaxation times for the two inner (m=1/2<-->m=3/2 and m=-1/2<-->m=-3/2) and correspondingly for the two outer (m=3/2<-->m=5/2 and m=-3/2<-->m=-5/2) satellite transitions. T2 relaxation times in the range 0.5-3.5 ms are observed for the individual satellite transitions at -50 degrees C and 7.05 T, whereas the corresponding T1 relaxation times, determined from similar saturation-recovery 27Al NMR experiments, are almost constant (T1=0.07-0.10 s) for the individual satellite transitions. The variation in T2 values for the individual 27Al satellite transitions for alum is justified by a simple theoretical approach which considers the cross-correlation of the local fluctuating fields from the quadrupolar coupling and the heteronuclear (27Al-1H) dipolar interaction on the T2 relaxation times for the individual transitions. This approach and the observed differences in T2 values indicate that a single random motional process modulates both the quadrupolar and heteronuclear dipolar interactions for 27Al in alum at low temperatures.     

Functional MRI and NMR spectroscopy of an operating gas-liquid-solid catalytic reactor

A dynamic in situ study of alpha-methylstyrene catalytic hydrogenation on a single catalyst pellet or in a granular bed is performed using 1H MRI and spatially resolved 1H NMR spectroscopy. Owing to reaction exothermicity, a reciprocating motion of the liquid front within the pellet accompanied by pellet temperature oscillations has been observed. Spatially resolved information on the reactant to product conversion within the catalyst bed has been obtained for a steady-state regime. Two-dimensional 27Al NMR images of alumina catalyst supports and other alumina-containing materials have been detected using moderate magnetic field gradients (80 G/cm) and a two-pulse spin-echo sequence. Temperature dependence of signal intensity and 27Al T1 time of alumina are considered as possible temperature sensors for NMR thermometry applications.     

27Al and 23Na double-rotation NMR of sodalites.

The 27Al NMR spectra of calcium tungstate aluminate sodalite (CAW), Ca8[Al12O24](WO4)2, and the 23Na NMR spectra of sodium aluminosilicate sodalites of general composition Na9[Si6Al6O24]A2 with A = B(OH)4- (SBS), SCN- (SRS) and A2 = SO4(2-) (SSS), MoO4(2-) (SMS) have been measured using magic-angle spinning (MAS) and double-rotation (DOR) techniques. Rotor synchronized pulse excitation is applied in the DOR experiments. Dramatic line narrowing is observed in the DOR spectra of all samples. The 27Al DOR NMR spectra of CAW measured at 9.4 and 11.7 T and spinning rates of 800-1150 Hz of the outer and 5 kHz of the inner rotor show seven sharp central lines accompanied by a manifold of spinning sidebands. These lines correspond to the seven crystallographically inequivalent Al sites of the CAW framework derived from X-ray structure analysis. From the difference of the line positions in the 9.4 and 11.7 T spectra the quadrupole coupling constant, QCC, quadrupole induced shift, sigma qs, and isotropic chemical shift, delta cs, of each Al site have been calculated. QCC values in the range of 5 to 9 MHz are obtained which reflect the strong tetragonal distortion of the AlO4 tetrahedra in CAW. delta cs shows only small changes in the range between 74.4 and 77.2 ppm. A tentative assignment of all lines to the distinct Al sites is derived from the correlation between QCC and a "shear strain parameter" describing quantitatively the distortion of the AlO4 tetrahedra.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

27Al multiple-quantum MAS NMR of mechanically treated bayerite (alpha-Al(OH)3) and silica mixtures

Two-dimensional 27Al multiple-quantum magic angle spinning (MQMAS) NMR experiments are used to study mixtures of bayerite (alpha-Al(OH)3) with either silicic acid (SiO2.nH2O) or silica gel (SiO2) that have been ground together for varying lengths of time. This mechanical treatment produces changes in the 27Al MAS and MQMAS NMR spectra that correspond to the formation of new Al species. Mean values of the quadrupolar interaction (PQ) and isotropic chemical shift (deltacs) are extracted from the two-dimensional 27Al NMR spectra for each of these species. The presence of significant distributions of both 27Al quadrupolar and chemical shift parameters is demonstrated and the effect of grinding duration on the magnitudes of these distributions is discussed.     

Al NMR studies of NpPd5Al2

We present ²⁷Al NMR studies for a single crystal of the Np-based superconductor NpPd₅Al₂. We have observed a five-line ²⁷Al NMR spectrum with a center line and four satellite lines separated by first-order nuclear quadrupole splittings. The Knight shift clearly drops below T_c. The temperature dependence of the ²⁷Al nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate shows no coherence peak below T_c, indicating that NpPd₅Al₂ is an unconventional superconductor with an anisotropic gap. The analysis of the present NMR data provides evidence for strong-coupling d-wave superconductivity in NpPd₅Al₂.     

A study of tin dioxide and antimony tetroxide supported vanadium oxide catalysts by solid-state 51V and 1H NMR techniques.

A series of vanadia catalysts with various V2O5 loadings supported on SnO2 and alpha-Sb2O4 are investigated by the application of X-ray diffraction and solid-state 51V and 1H NMR techniques. XRD results show no evidence for the formation of a crystalline vanadia phase on both supports. However, the 51V NMR spectra of the catalysts reveal the existence of two types of vanadia species on the surface of the support: one due to a dispersed vanadia phase at lower vanadia loadings and the other due to a crystalline vanadia phase at higher vanadium content. The quantity of the dispersed vanadia phase, however, depends on the nature of the support material. The 1H NMR results provide evidence for the existence or non-existence of a metal oxide support interaction through the support surface hydroxyl groups.     

<Superscript>27</Superscript>Al NMR Study of the Structure and Dynamics of Natrolite

The temperature dependences of nuclear magnetic resonance and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of ²⁷Al nuclei in natrolite (Na₂Al₂Si₃O₁₀· 2H₂O) have been studied. The influence of water molecules and sodium ions mobility on the shape of the ²⁷Al NMR spectrum and framework dynamics have been discussed The temperature dependences of the spin–lattice relaxation times T₁ of ²⁷Al nuclei in natrolite have also been studied. It has been shown that the spin–lattice relaxation of the ²⁷Al is governed by the electric quadrupole interaction with the crystal electric field gradients modulated by translational motion of H₂O molecules in the natrolite pores. The dipolar interactions with paramagnetic impurities become significant as a relaxation mechanism of the ²⁷Al nuclei only at low temperatures (<270 K).     

用固体核磁共振方法研究CeO2-γ-Al2O3混合氧化物中的Al状态

用固体核磁共振技术研究了CeO₂-γ-Al₂O₃ 混合体系中CeO₂ 和 γ -Al²O₃两相间的相互作用. 在混合物的²⁷Al MAS NMR 中,除了四配位和六配位的Al位外,有一个尖锐的位于37处的,这个峰在高场处有一宽的肩峰. 实验证实： 位于高场的宽峰来自于 γ-Al₂O₃中的五配位Al,而位于37处的尖峰则是由CeO₂ 和 γ-Al₂O₃两相间的相互作用产生的,即Al取代了CeO₂晶格中八配位的Ce. 定量研究表明,这种Al取代的量是极其有限的,整个CeO₂晶格只有1%的Ce能被Al取代.     

Identification of fluorine sites at the surface of fluorinated gamma-alumina by two-dimensional MAS NMR

By means of 27Al triple quantum Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (3QMAS NMR) and 27Al[19F] WISE MAS NMR, we were able to detect three different Al-F sites on the surface of fluorinated gamma-alumina. Three 19F resonances at 9, 20, and 33 ppm (from C6F6) correlated to 27Al resonances in the octahedral range. While the positions of the maxima in the 27Al dimension were ill-defined due to the inherently low efficiency of the 27Al[19F] CPMAS process, the center of gravity of the lines shifted significantly upfield in that dimension with increasing wt.% F. Tentatively, these three resonances were assigned to (VI)Al(O(6-n)Fn) (n = 1, 2, 3) environments on the F/gamma-Al2O3 surface. At F contents above levels corresponding to the full fluorination of the gamma-Al2O3 surface, neoformation of an AlF3 x 3H2O phase was also evidenced with an 19F resonance at -8 ppm and with an 27Al resonance at -17 ppm.     

Studies of heterogeneous catalysis using high-resolution solid state NMR

Recent results obtained at the institute of Catalysis from studies of heterogeneous catalysis using high-resolution¹H,¹³C,¹⁵N,²⁷Al,²⁹Si,³¹P and⁵¹V solid state NMR have been summarized. Emphasis is made on: (1) structural studies of active in catalysis compounds and sites in supported oxides, hydrides and inorganic acids; (2) studies of structures and properties of surface OH groups active in Bronsted acid catalysis; (3) studies of Lewis acidity of heterogeneous catalysts using¹⁵N NMR of adsorbed N₂O and (4) studies of adsorption mechanisms for molecules of reactants over various catalysts.     

Na2O＊B2O3＊V2O5玻璃的^51V核磁共振研究

本文应用~(51)V核磁共振研究了Na_2O·B_2O_3·V_2O_5玻璃的结构,结果表明: 1)R<0.5+K时,随着R的增加,依次形成NaV_3O_8、NaVO_3和NaVO_3-B结构。 2)R=0.5+K时,全部的V_2O_5转化为NaVO_3和NaVO_3-B结构。 3)R>0.5+K时,由于硼酸盐中非桥氧数的增加,NaVO_3-B结构逐步消失,并推测NaVO_3-B结构中的B原子为四配位结构。     

27Al pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance study of CeAl2

The magnetic properties and the electronic structures of a rare-earth aluminum intermetallic compound CeAl₂ are investigated by magnetic susceptibility measurements and ²⁷Al pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The magnetic susceptibility is strongly temperature-dependent, following a Curie–Weiss law down to ∼12 K, and shows an antiferromagnetic transition at 4 K. The ²⁷Al NMR spectra show a typical powder pattern for a nuclear spin I of 5/2 with the second-order nuclear quadrupole interaction at high temperature and an additional large dipolar broadening between the 4f electron spins of cerium and the ²⁷Al nuclear spins at low temperature. The ²⁷Al NMR Knight shift follows the same temperature dependence as the magnetic susceptibility, suggesting that the ²⁷Al NMR Knight shift originates from the transferred hyperfine field of the Ce 4f electron spins with the hyperfine coupling constant of A = +5.7 kOe/μ_B. The spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T₁ is roughly proportional to temperature, as with most non-magnetic metals at high temperature, and then strongly temperature-dependent, increasing rapidly with a peak near the antiferromagnetic transition temperature and decreasing at lower temperature. The temperature dependence of the Korringa ratio K, however, suggests that the antiferromagnetic spin fluctuation signature, which is an enhancement in the Korringa ratio, is washed out owing to the geometrical cancellation of Ce 4f fluctuations at the Al sites.     

A combined 14N/27Al nuclear magnetic resonance and powder X-ray diffraction study of impurity phases in beta-sialon ceramics

Beta-sialons are ceramic phases occurring in the SiO(2)-Si(3)N(4)-AlN-Al(2)O(3) system. A series of samples with differing compositions has been investigated by magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Although the constituent nitrogen nuclei occupy positions of low symmetry in the beta-sialon structure, 14N NMR spectra could be recorded for the samples examined. The origin of the 14N signal could be traced to the presence of an aluminium nitride (AlN) impurity phase with the help of 27Al NMR and XRD results. Similarly, the existence of Al(2)O(3) grains could be readily detected for a number of samples. Thus, the combination of 14N and 27Al NMR is shown to be an especially effective tool in identifying and characterizing impurity phases in sialon ceramics, complementing the results obtained from standard XRD analysis.     

Solid-state NMR characterisation of the thermal transformation of a Hungarian white illite

(1)H, (27)Al, (29)Si and (39)K solid-state NMR are reported from a Hungarian illite 2:1 clay for samples heated up 1600 degrees C. This single-phase sample has a small amount of aluminium substitution in the silica layer and very low iron-content ( approximately 0.4wt%). Thermal analysis shows several events that can be related to features in the NMR spectra, and hence changes in the atomic scale structure. As dehydroxylation occurs there is increasing AlO(4) and AlO(5)-contents. The silica and gibbsite layers become increasingly separated as the dehydroxylation progresses. Between 900 and 1000 degrees C the silica layer forms a potassium aluminosilicate glass. The gibbsite-layer forms spinel/gamma-Al(2)O(3) and some aluminium-rich mullite. Then on heating to 1600 degrees C changes in the (29)Si and (27)Al MAS NMR spectra are consistent with the aluminosilicate glass increasing its aluminium-content, the amount of mullite increasing probably with its silicon-content also increasing, and some alpha-Al(2)O(3) forming.     

Al coordination and water speciation in hydrous aluminosilicate glasses: direct evidence from high-resolution heteronuclear 1H-27Al correlation NMR

In order to shed light on the dissolution mechanisms of water in depolymerized aluminosilicate melts/glasses, a comprehensive one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR study has been carried out on hydrous Ca- and Mg-aluminosilicate glasses of a haplobasaltic composition. The applied techniques include 1D 1H MAS NMR and 27Al-->1H cross-polarization (CP) MAS NMR, and 2D 1H NOESY and double-quantum (DQ) MAS NMR, 27Al triple-quantum (3Q) MAS NMR and 27Al-->1H heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) and 3QMAS/HETCOR NMR. Ab initio calculations were also performed to place additional constraints on the 1H NMR characteristics of AlOH and Si(OH)Al groups. This study has revealed, for the first time, the presence of free OH (i.e. (Ca, Mg)OH), SiOH and AlOH species, in addition to molecular H2O, in hydrous glasses of a depolymerized aluminosilicate composition. The AlOH groups are mostly associated with four-coordinate Al, but some are associated with five- and six-coordinate Al.     

Procedures for labeling the high-resolution axis of two-dimensional MQ-MAS NMR spectra of half-integer quadrupole spins

The increasing development and application of the multiple-quantum MAS NMR for half-integer quadrupole spins has led to various RF pulse sequences for improving the excitation of multiple-quantum coherences and their conversion to single-quantum coherences. As a result, several conventions for labeling the Fl dimension of a 2D MQ-MAS spectrum appear in the literature. The corresponding relations for extracting the isotropic chemical shift, the quadrupole coupling constant, and the asymmetry parameter from experimental data are not always provided. We analyze these various conventions systematically and propose a new one, similar to that introduced by J.-P. Amoureux and C. Fernandez (2000, Solid State NMR 10, 339-343). These various conventions are illustrated with 27Al (I = 5/2) nuclei in aluminum acetylacetonate Al(CH3COCHCOCH3)3. Another experimental problem often met, the aliasing of peaks in the 2D spectrum, is analyzed and illustrated with 27Al (I = 5/2) in NH4Y zeolite and 23Na (I = 3/2) in sodium pyrophosphate Na4P2O7.     

Signal enhancement in 5QMAS spectra of spin-5/2 quadrupolar nuclei

5QMAS experiments on spin-5/2 systems display a low sensitivity compared with their 3QMAS counterparts. Nevertheless, the superior resolution of 5QMAS over 3QMAS makes these experiments a favorable choice for many materials. We report an enhancement scheme for the 5QMAS experiment, using an improved five-quantum excitation pulse scheme combined with a FAM-II conversion pulse. The results are verified experimentally on a polycrystalline sample of gamma-(27)Al(2)O(3), showing an enhancement factor of 2.4 over the simple two-pulse (CW) 5QMAS scheme. Numerical computations of the efficiency parameter epsilon support these results.