New practical tools for the implementation and use of ultrafast 2D NMR experiments

Ultrafast (UF) 2D NMR is a very promising methodology enabling the acquisition of 2D spectra in a single scan. In the last few years, the analytical performance of UF 2D NMR has been highly increased, consequently maximizing its range of applications. However, its implementation and use by non‐specialists are far from being straightforward, because of the specific acquisition and processing procedures and parameters characterizing UF NMR. To make this methodology implementable and applicable by non‐specialists, we developed a simple routine capable of translating conventional parameters (spectral widths and transmitter frequencies) into specific UF parameters (gradient and chirp pulse parameters). This macro was subsequently implemented in a Web page, which is available for external users. Although the algorithm was designed for two widely used 2D experiments, COSY and HSQC, it can easily be extended to any other pulse sequence. The robustness of this routine was verified successfully on a variety of small molecules. We believe that this tool will eliminate much of the technical difficulties related to UF 2D NMR and will make the technique accessible to a wider audience of organic and analytical chemists. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast quantitative 2D NMR for metabolomics and lipidomics: A tutorial

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a well-known analytical technique for the analysis of complex mixtures. Its quantitative capability makes it ideally suited to metabolomics or lipidomics studies involving large sample collections of complex biological samples. To overcome the ubiquitous limitation of spectral overcrowding when recording 1D NMR spectra on such samples, the acquisition of 2D NMR spectra allows a better separation between overlapped resonances while yielding accurate quantitative data when appropriate analytical protocols are implemented. Moreover, the experiment duration can be considerably reduced by applying fast acquisition methods. Here, we describe the general workflow to acquire fast quantitative 2D NMR spectra in the “omics” context. It is illustrated on three representative and complementary experiments: UF COSY, ZF-TOCSY with nonuniform sampling, and HSQC with nonuniform sampling. After giving some details and recommendations on how to apply this protocol, its implementation in the case of targeted and untargeted metabolomics/lipidomics studies is described.     

"Multi-scan single shot" quantitative 2D NMR: a valuable alternative to fast conventional quantitative 2D NMR

Quantitative Ultrafast (UF) 2D NMR is a very promising methodology enabling the acquisition of 2D spectra in a single scan. The analytical performances of UF 2D NMR have been highly increased in the last few years, however little is known about the sensitivity of ultrafast experiments versus conventional 2D NMR. A fair and relevant comparison has to consider the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) per unit of time, in order to answer the following question: for a given experiment time, should we run a conventional 2D experiment or is it preferable to accumulate ultrafast acquisitions? To answer this question, we perform here a systematic comparison between accumulated ultrafast experiments and conventional ones, for different experiment durations. Sensitivity issues and other analytical aspects are discussed for the COSY experiment in the context of quantitative analysis. The comparison is first carried out on a model sample, and then extended to model metabolic mixtures. The results highlight the high analytical performance of the "multi-scan single shot" approach versus conventional 2D NMR acquisitions. This result is attributed to the absence of t(1) noise in spatially encoded experiments. The multi-scan single shot approach is particularly interesting for quantitative applications of 2D NMR, whose occurrence in the literature has been greatly increasing in the last few years.     

Fatty acid derivatives from the halotolerant fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides

Halotolerant fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides OUCMDZ‐187 was isolated from the mangrove plant Rhizophora stylosa collected in Shankou, Guangxi Province of China. Three new fatty acid esters cladosporesters A–C ( 1 – 3 ) and 5 new fatty acids cladosporacids A–E ( 4 – 8 ) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the fermentation broth of OUCMDZ‐187 in a hypersaline (10% salt) medium. Their structures were elucidated by UV, IR, MS, specific rotation, and 1D and 2D NMR data.     

Progress in Hyperpolarized Ultrafast 2D NMR Spectroscopy

An important development in the field of NMR spectroscopy has been the advent of hyperpolarization approaches, capable of yielding nuclear spin states whose value exceeds by orders‐of‐magnitude what even the highest‐field spectrometers can afford under Boltzmann equilibrium. Included among these methods is an ex situ dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) approach, which yields liquid‐phase samples possessing spin polarizations of up to 50 %. Although capable of providing an NMR sensitivity equivalent to the averaging of about 1 000 000 scans, this methodology is constrained to extract its “superspectrum” within a single—or at most a few—transients. This makes it a poor starting point for conventional 2D NMR acquisition experiments, which require a large number of scans that are identical to one another except for the increment of a certain t₁ delay. It has been recently suggested that by merging this ex situ DNP approach with spatially encoded “ultrafast” methods, a suitable starting point could arise for the acquisition of 2D spectra on hyperpolarized liquids. Herein, we describe the experimental principles, potential features, and current limitations of such integration between the two methodologies. For a variety of small molecules, these new hyperpolarized ultrafast experiments can, for equivalent overall durations, provide heteronuclear correlation spectra at significantly lower concentrations than those currently achievable by conventional 2D NMR acquisitions. A variety of challenges still remain to be solved before bringing the full potential of this new integrated 2D NMR approach to fruition; these outstanding issues are discussed.     

Performance of new 400‐MHz HTS power‐driven magnet NMR technology on typical pharmaceutical API,cinacalcet HCl

After years towards higher field strength magnets, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology in commercial instruments in the past decade has expanded at low and high magnetic fields to take advantage of new opportunities. At lower field strengths, permanent magnets are well established, whereas for midrange and high field, developments utilize superconducting magnets cooled with cryogenic liquids. Recently, the desire to locate NMR spectrometers in nontypical NMR laboratories has created interest in the development of cryogen‐free magnets. These magnets require no cryogenic maintenance, eliminating routine filling and large cryogen dewars in the facility. Risks of spontaneous quenches and safety concerns when working with cryogenic liquids are eliminated. The highest field commercially available cryogen‐free NMR magnet previously reported was at 4.7 T in 2013. Here we tested a prototype cryogen‐free 9.4‐T power‐driven high‐temperature‐superconducting (HTS) magnet mated to commercial NMR spectrometer electronics. We chose cinacalcet HCl, a typical active pharmaceutical ingredient, to evaluate its performance towards structure elucidation. Satisfactory standard 1D and 2D homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR results were obtained and compared with those from a standard 9.4‐T cryogenically cooled superconducting NMR instrument. The results were similar between both systems with minor differences. Further comparison with different shims and probes in the HTS magnet system confirmed that the magnet homogeneity profile could be matched with commercially available NMR equipment for optimal results. We conclude that HTS magnet technology works well providing results comparable with those of standard instruments, leading us to investigate additional applications for this magnet technology outside a traditional NMR facility.     

Quantitative determination of aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds by 2D NMR

Quantitative analysis of complex mixtures by NMR is often hampered by heavily overlapping signals in 1D ¹H or ¹³C spectra. To resolve the overlap problem, we have been looking at the possibilities of using heteronuclear correlated 2D NMR methods for quantification. In this work, we applied 2D INEPT to analyze mixtures of tetradecane and squalane, which represent typical substructures of lube oil fractions. The factors affecting correlation peak volumes, namely the polarization transfer delays within pulse sequence, multiplicity of CH_n group and the magnitude of ¹J_{(C, H)} couplings were taken into account by product operator formalism calculations. The results indicate that if absolute precision in quantification is not essential, the current approach can be used for the quantitative analysis of the molecular composition of complex mixtures when conventional 1D NMR methods fail. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Partial‐Homogeneity‐Based Two‐Dimensional High‐Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy under Inhomogeneous Magnetic Fields

High‐resolution multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy serves as an irreplaceable and versatile tool in various chemical investigations. In this study, a method based on the concept of partial homogeneity is developed to offer two‐dimensional (2D) high‐resolution NMR spectra under inhomogeneous fields. Oscillating gradients are exerted to encode the high‐resolution information, and a field‐inhomogeneity correction algorithm based on pattern recognition is designed to recover high‐resolution spectra. Under fields where inhomogeneity primarily distributes along a single orientation, the proposed method will improve performances of 2D NMR spectroscopy without increasing the experimental duration or significant loss in sensitivity, and thus may open important perspectives for studies of inhomogeneous chemical systems.     

Structure elucidation of four prenylindole derivatives from Streptomyces sp. isolated from Ailuropoda melanoleuca feces

Four new prenylindole derivatives, (R)‐6‐(2,3‐dihydroxy‐3‐methylbutyl)indole (1), (R)‐6‐(2,3‐dihydroxy‐3‐methylbutyl)indolin‐2‐one (2), and an unseparated mixture of (Z)‐6‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbut‐2‐en‐1‐yl)indolin‐2‐one (3a) and (E)‐6‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbut‐2‐en‐1‐yl)indolin‐2‐one (3b) with a ratio of 3 : 2, were isolated from the culture broth of a streptomycete isolated from Ailuropoda melanoleuca feces. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by Mosher's method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural and spectral assignment by 2D NMR of a new prenylated benzopyrancarboxylic acid and structural reassignment of a related compound

A new prenylated benzopyrancarboxylic acid, 1a (3,4‐dihydro‐5‐hydroxy‐2,7‐dimethyl‐8‐(2‐methyl‐2‐butenyl)‐ 2‐(4‐methyl‐1, 3‐pentadienyl)‐2H‐1‐benzopyran‐6‐carboxylic acid) was isolated from Peperomia amplexicaulis and fully characterized by 1D and 2D NMR and high‐resolution mass spectrometry. In the course of this investigation, the structure of a related compound (minus the carboxylic acid group) which was previously assigned as 2b was corrected to structure 1b . Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Is Enantiomer Assignment Possible by NMR Spectroscopy Using Residual Dipolar Couplings from Chiral Nonracemic Alignment Media?—A Critical Assessment

Insensitive towards inversion: Can residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) and other anisotropic NMR observables be used to determine absolute configuration? A critical assessment of recent approaches is provided to determine the absolute configuration from RDCs.     

Detailed assignments of 1H and 13C NMR spectral data of 14 cyclopentane derivatives

Detailed assignments of ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral data for 14 cyclopentane derivatives are reported. The assignments are based on 1D ¹H and ¹³C NMR and on 2D shift‐correlated [¹H, ¹³C‐HMQC], J‐resolved and NOEDIF experiments. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

COSY‐ und HSQC‐NMR‐Spektroskopie

The present state of the routine 2D COSY‐ and HSQC‐NMR spectroscopy is reported. After a short introduction into the basic theory of 2D NMR the pulse sequences of COSY and HSQC are explained. Using an example from natural product chemistry the procedures during the analysis of these 2D NMR spectra are demonstrated.     

Revised structures of Arillatanosides A–C from Polygala arillata

Arillatanosides A–C are three triterpenoid saponins from Polygala arillata Buch–Ham that have been reported previously, but with partially incorrect structures. Further investigation of their NMR data led to the conclusion that the terminal α‐L ‐arabinopyranosyl unit originally proposed for Arillatanosides A–C ( I – III ) is actually a β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl unit. Thus, the correct structures of Arillatanosides A–C are represented by 1 – 3 . Complete NMR assignments of Arillatanosides A–C ( 1 – 3 ) and the related polygalasaponin XXXV ( 4 ) were achieved using modern 2D NMR techniques, such as DQF H–H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, TOCSY, 2D HMQC–TOCSY. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1H and 13C NMR assignments of abietane diterpenes from Aegiphila lhotzkyana

An NMR study of one new and several known abietane diterpenes isolated from the roots of Aegiphila lhotzkyana is described. In addition to 1D NMR, several 2D shift‐correlated NMR pulse sequences (¹H–¹H‐COSY, NOESY, HMQC and HMBC) were used to establish all the structures, and unambiguously perform the ¹H and ¹³C chemical shift assignments of the new natural diterpene and three derivatives, the NMR data for which have not been reported previously. Revision of current data assignment for teuvincenone H is also suggested. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new cytotoxic limonoid from Odontadenia macrantha from the Suriname rainforest

Bioassay‐guided fractionation of the methanol extract of Odontadenia macrantha afforded a new limonoid, odontadenin A (1) and two known triterpenoids, lupeol (2) and α‐amyrin (3). The structure of 1 was established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and high‐resolution fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric data. The new compound was found to possess moderate cytotoxicity against A2780, the ovarian cancer cell line. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new coumarin from Perezia hebeclada

Methanol extracts from Perezia hebeclada roots yielded the new 8‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy‐4‐methoxy‐5‐methylcoumarin ( 1 ) together with the known 4‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy‐5‐methylcoumarin ( 2 ). Their structures were determined and verified, respectively, by MS and NMR studies, including 1D and 2D experiments. Two ¹³C NMR signals of the sugar residue of 2 were reassigned. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solution‐Processed Two‐Dimensional MoS2 Nanosheets: Preparation,Hybridization, and Applications

As one member of the emerging class of ultrathin two‐dimensional (2D) transition‐metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanomaterials, the ultra‐thin MoS₂ nanosheet has attracted increasing research interest as a result of its unique structure and fascinating properties. Solution‐phase methods are promising for the scalable production, functionalization, hybridization of MoS₂ nanosheets, thus enabling the widespread exploration of MoS₂‐based nanomaterials for various promising applications. In this Review, an overview of the recent progress of solution‐processed MoS₂ nanosheets is presented, with the emphasis on their synthetic strategies, functionalization, hybridization, properties, and applications. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in this research area will be proposed.     

1H NMR discrimination of CHF4226.01 diastereoisomers in DMSO‐d6

Two diastereoisomers CHF4226.01 (R, R) and CHF4232.01 (S, R), differing for a chiral center, have been studied to investigate their possible discrimination using NMR. 1D NMR and 2D NMR experiments, such as COSY, NOESY and ROESY, were performed on pure isomers and on the association complexes formed in the presence of the chiral reagent (S)‐(?)‐1‐(2‐napthyl)ethylamine (S‐NEA). Moreover, computational studies, concerning conformational analysis and molecular dynamics, were started and supported the NMR results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

NMR data visualization,processing, and analysis on mobile devices

Touch‐screen computers are emerging as a popular platform for many applications, including those in chemistry and analytical sciences. In this work, we present our implementation of a new NMR ‘app’ designed for hand‐held and portable touch‐controlled devices, such as smartphones and tablets. It features a flexible architecture formed by a powerful NMR processing and analysis kernel and an intuitive user interface that makes full use of the smart devices haptic capabilities. Routine 1D and 2D NMR spectra acquired in most NMR instruments can be processed in a fully unattended way. More advanced experiments such as non‐uniform sampled NMR spectra are also supported through a very efficient parallelized Modified Iterative Soft Thresholding algorithm. Specific technical development features as well as the overall feasibility of using NMR software apps will also be discussed. All aspects considered the functionalities of the app allowing it to work as a stand‐alone tool or as a ‘companion’ to more advanced desktop applications such as Mnova NMR. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.