Unexpected effects of third-order cross-terms in heteronuclear spin systems under simultaneous radio-frequency irradiation and magic-angle spinning NMR

We recently noted [R. K. Harris, P. Hodgkinson, V. Zorin, J.-N. Dumez, B. Elena, L. Emsley, E. Salager, and R. Stein, Magn. Reson. Chem. 48, S103 (2010)] anomalous shifts in apparent (1)H chemical shifts in experiments using (1)H homonuclear decoupling sequences to acquire high-resolution (1)H NMR spectra for organic solids under magic-angle spinning (MAS). Analogous effects were also observed in numerical simulations of model (13)C,(1)H spin systems under homonuclear decoupling and involving large (13)C,(1)H dipolar couplings. While the heteronuclear coupling is generally assumed to be efficiently suppressed by sample spinning at the magic angle, we show that under conditions typically used in solid-state NMR, there is a significant third-order cross-term from this coupling under the conditions of simultaneous MAS and homonuclear decoupling for spins directly bonded to (1)H. This term, which is of the order of 100 Hz under typical conditions, explains the anomalous behaviour observed on both (1)H and (13)C spins, including the fast dephasing observed in (13)C{(1)H} heteronuclear spin-echo experiments under (1)H homonuclear decoupling. Strategies for minimising the impact of this effect are also discussed.     

2H Natural-abundance MAS NMR spectroscopy: an alternative approach to obtain 1H chemical shifts in solids

(2)H NMR was examined as an approach to determine (1)H chemical shifts in solids. For high-resolution observation, the line width due to (2)H quadrupole interaction and chemical-shift anisotropy was removed by magic-angle spinning and that due to (1)H-(2)H dipolar interactions by (1)H decoupling. Further, we showed that the sensitivity can be enhanced by applying (1)H to (2)H cross polarization and by adding spinning-sideband spectra. These make it possible to obtain (2)H natural-abundance MAS spectra revealing highly resolved (2)H signals. The second-order quadrupole effects of (2)H are also examined.     

An experimental study of decoupling sequences for multiple-quantum and high-resolution MAS experiments in solid-state NMR

Recently, a sequence for heteronuclear dipolar decoupling in solid-state NMR, namely SWf-TPPM, was introduced by us. Under magic-angle spinning (MAS), the decoupling efficiency of the sequence was unaffected over a range of values for various experimental parameters such as the pulse length, pulse phase, and 1H resonance offset. We here demonstrate its use in multiple-quantum (MQ) and high-resolution (HR) MAS experiments. This sequence further improves the MQMAS spectra compared to the earlier reported decoupling sequences with improved immunity to any missets of the pulse length, pulse phase and decoupler offset. In contrast, for HRMAS, the simple CW scheme is as efficient as any of the decoupling schemes that were studied.     

Detection of peptide-phospholipid interaction sites in bilayer membranes by 13C NMR spectroscopy: observation of 2H/31P-selective 1H-depolarization under magic-angle spinning

We have developed a solid-state NMR method for observing the signals due to 13C spins of a peptide in the close vicinity of 31P and 2H spins in deuterated phospholipid bilayers. The signal intensities in 13C high-resolution NMR spectra directly indicate the depolarization of 1H by 1H-31P and 1H-2H dipolar couplings under multiple-contact cross-polarization. This method was applied to a fully 13C-, 15N-labeled 14-residue peptide, mastoparan-X (MP-X), bound to phospholipid bilayers whose fatty acyl chains are deuterated. The 13C NMR spectra for the depolarization were simulated from the chemical shifts and structure of membrane-bound MP-X previously determined and the distribution of 2H and 31P spins in lipid bilayers. The minimization of RMSD between the simulated and the experimental spectra showed that the amphiphilic alpha-helix of MP-X was located in the interface between the water layer and the hydrophobic domain of the bilayer, with nonpolar residues facing the phosphorus atoms and alkyl chains of the lipids.     

Further conventions for NMR shielding and chemical shifts (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)

IUPAC has published a number of recommendations regarding the reporting of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data, especially chemical shifts. The most recent publication [Pure Appl. Chem. 73, 1795 (2001)] recommended that tetramethylsilane (TMS) serve as a universal reference for reporting the shifts of all nuclides, but it deferred recommendations for several aspects of this subject. This document first examines the extent to which the (1)H shielding in TMS itself is subject to change by variation in temperature, concentration, and solvent. On the basis of recently published results, it has been established that the shielding of TMS in solution [along with that of sodium-3-(trimethylsilyl)propanesulfonate, DSS, often used as a reference for aqueous solutions] varies only slightly with temperature but is subject to solvent perturbations of a few tenths of a part per million (ppm). Recommendations are given for reporting chemical shifts under most routine experimental conditions and for quantifying effects of temperature and solvent variation, including the use of magnetic susceptibility corrections and of magic-angle spinning (MAS). This document provides the first IUPAC recommendations for referencing and reporting chemical shifts in solids, based on high-resolution MAS studies. Procedures are given for relating (13)C NMR chemical shifts in solids to the scales used for high-resolution studies in the liquid phase. The notation and terminology used for describing chemical shift and shielding tensors in solids are reviewed in some detail, and recommendations are given for best practice.     

Enhanced sensitivity and resolution in (1)H solid-state NMR spectroscopy of paramagnetic complexes under very fast magic angle spinning

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy for paramagnetic complexes in solids has been rarely performed because of its limited sensitivity and resolution due to large paramagnetic shifts and associated technical difficulties. The present study demonstrates that magic angle spinning (MAS) at speeds exceeding 20 kHz provides unusually high sensitivity and excellent resolution in 1H solid-state NMR (SSNMR) for paramagnetic systems. Spinning-speed dependence of 1H MAS spectra showed that very fast MAS (VFMAS) at 24-28 kHz enhanced sensitivity by a factor of 12-18, compared with the sensitivity of 1H SSNMR spectra under moderate MAS at 10 kHz, for Cu(dl-alanine)2.H2O and Mn(acac)3, for which the spectral ranges due to 1H paramagnetic shifts reach 200 and 1000 ppm, respectively. It was theoretically and experimentally confirmed that the absolute sensitivity of 1H VFMAS for small paramagnetic complexes such as Cu(dl-alanine)2 can be an order of magnitude higher than that of equimolar diamagnetic ligands because of short 1H T1 ( approximately 1 ms) of the paramagnetic systems and improved sensitivity under VFMAS. On the basis of this demonstrated high sensitivity, 1H SSNMR micro analysis of paramagnetic systems in a nanomole scale is proposed. Applications were performed on two polymorphs of Cu(II)(8-quinolinol)2, which is a suppressor of human cancer cells. It was demonstrated that 1H VFMAS SSNMR spectra accumulated for 20 nmol of the polycrystalline samples in 10 min enabled one to distinguish alpha- and beta-forms of Cu(II)(8-quinolinol)2 on the basis of shift positions and line widths.     

High resolution 1H detected 1H,13C correlation spectra in MAS solid-state NMR using deuterated proteins with selective 1H,2H isotopic labeling of methyl groups

MAS solid-state NMR experiments applied to biological solids are still hampered by low sensitivity and resolution. In this work, we employ a deuteration scheme in which individual methyl groups are selectively protonated. This labeling scheme allows the acquisition of proton carbon correlation spectra with a resolution comparable to that in solution-state NMR experiments. We observe an increase in resolution by a factor of 10-15 compared to standard heteronuclear correlation experiments using PMLG for 1H,1H dipolar decoupling in the indirect dimension. At the same time, the full sensitivity of the proton-based experiment is retained. In comparison to the heteronuclear detected version of the experiment, a gain in sensitivity of a factor of approximately 4.7 is achieved.     

Heteronuclear chemical shift correlation and J-resolved MAS NMR spectroscopy of lipid membranes

Direct observation of J-couplings remains a challenge in high-resolution solid-state NMR. In some cases, it is possible to use Lee-Goldburg (LG) homonuclear decoupling during rare spin observation in MAS NMR correlation spectroscopy of lipid membranes to obtain J-resolved spectra in the direct dimension. In one simple implementation, a wide line separation-type (13)C-(1)H HETCOR can provide high-resolution (1)H/(13)C spectra, which are J-resolved in both dimensions. Coupling constants, (1)J(HC), obtained from (1)H doublets, can be compared with scaled (1)J(θ)(CH)-values obtained from the (13)C multiplets to assess the LG efficiency and scaling factor. The use of homonuclear decoupling during proton evolution, LG-HETCOR-LG, can provide J-values, at least in the rare spin dimension, and allows measurements in less mobile membrane environments. The LG-decoupled spectroscopic approach is demonstrated on pure dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) membranes and used to investigate lipid mixtures of DOPC/cholesterol and DOPC/cholesterol/sphingomyelin.     

A new approach in 1D and 2D 13C high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy of paramagnetic organometallic complexes by very fast magic-angle spinning

Novel 1D and multidimensional solid-state NMR (SSNMR) methods using very fast magic-angle spinning (VFMAS) (spinning speed > 20 kHz) for performing 13C high-resolution SSNMR of paramagnetic organometallic complexes are discussed. VFMAS removes a majority of 13C-1H and 1H-1H dipolar couplings, which are often difficult to remove by RF pulse techniques in paramagnetic complexes because of large paramagnetic shifts. In the first systematic approach using the unique feature of VFMAS for paramagnetic complexes, we demonstrate a means of obtaining well-resolved 1D and multidimensional 13C SSNMR spectra, sensitivity enhancements via cross polarization, and signal assignments, and applications of dipolar recoupling methods for nonlabeled paramagnetic organometallic complexes of moderate paramagnetic shifts ( approximately 800 ppm). Experimental results for powder samples of small nonlabeled coordination complexes at 1H frequencies of 400.2-400.3 MHz show that highly resolved 13C SSNMR spectra can be obtained under VFMAS, without requirements of 1H decoupling. Sensitivity enhancement in 13C SSNMR via cross polarization from 1H spins was demonstrated with an amplitude-sweep high-power CP sequence using strong RF fields ( approximately 100 kHz) available in the VFMAS probe. 13C CPMAS spectra of nonlabeled Cu(II)(dl-alanine)2.(H2O) and V(III)(acetylacetonate)3 (V(acac)3) show that it is possible to obtain high-resolution spectra for a small quantity ( approximately 15 mg) of nonlabeled paramagnetic organometal complexes within a few minutes under VFMAS. Experiments on Cu(II)(dl-alanine)2.(H2O) demonstrated that 1H-13C dipolar recoupling for paramagnetic organometal complexes can be performed under VFMAS by application of rotor-synchronous pi-pulses to 1H and 13C spins. The results also showed that signal assignments for 13CH, 13CH3, and 13CO groups in paramagnetic complexes are possible on the basis of the amount of 13C-1H dipolar dephasing induced by dipolar recoupling. Furthermore, the experimental 2D 13C/1H chemical-shift correlation NMR spectrum obtained for nonlabeled V(acac)3 exhibits well-resolved lines, which overlap in 1D 13C and 1H spectra. Signals for different chemical groups in the 2D spectrum are distinguished by the 13C-1H dipolar dephasing method combined with the 2D 13C/1H correlation NMR. The assignments offer information on the existence of nonequivalent ligands in the coordination complex in solids, without requiring a single-crystal sample.     

Two-dimensional Pure Isotropic Proton Solid State NMR

One key bottleneck of solid-state NMR spectroscopy is that ¹H NMR spectra of organic solids are often very broad due to the presence of a strong network of dipolar couplings. We have recently suggested a new approach to tackle this problem. More specifically, we parametrically mapped errors leading to residual dipolar broadening into a second dimension and removed them in a correlation experiment. In this way pure isotropic proton (PIP) spectra were obtained that contain only isotropic shifts and provide the highest ¹H NMR resolution available today in rigid solids. Here, using a deep-learning method, we extend the PIP approach to a second dimension, and for samples of L-tyrosine hydrochloride and ampicillin we obtain high resolution ¹H-¹H double-quantum/single-quantum dipolar correlation and spin-diffusion spectra with significantly higher resolution than the corresponding spectra at 100 kHz MAS, allowing the identification of previously overlapped isotropic correlation peaks.     

High-resolution solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy of polymorphs of glycine

High-resolution solid-state (2)H MAS NMR studies of the α and γ polymorphs of fully deuterated glycine (glycine-d(5)) are reported. Analysis of spinning sideband patterns is used to determine the (2)H quadrupole interaction parameters, and is shown to yield good agreement with the corresponding parameters determined from single-crystal (2)H NMR measurements (the maximum deviation in quadrupole coupling constants determined from these two approaches is only 1%). From analysis of simulated (2)H MAS NMR sideband patterns as a function of reorientational jump frequency (κ) for the -N(+)D(3) group in glycine-d(5), the experimentally observed differences in the (2)H MAS NMR spectrum for the -N(+)D(3) deutrons in the α and γ polymorphs is attributed to differences in the rate of reorientation of the -N(+)D(3) group. These simulations show severe broadening of the (2)H MAS NMR signal in the intermediate motion regime, suggesting that deuterons undergoing reorientational motions at rates in the range κ ≈ 10(4)-10(6) s(-1) are likely to be undetectable in (2)H MAS NMR measurements for materials with natural isotopic abundances. The (1)H NMR chemical shifts for the α and γ polymorphs of glycine have been determined from the (2)H MAS NMR results, taking into account the known second-order shift. Further quantum mechanical calculations of (2)H quadrupole interaction parameters and (1)H chemical shifts reveal the structural dependence of these parameters in the two polymorphs and suggest that the existence of two short intermolecular C-H···O contacts for one of the H atoms of the >CH(2) group in the α polymorph have a significant influence on the (2)H quadrupole coupling and (1)H chemical shift for this site.     

On the orientational dependence of resolution in 1H solid-state NMR, and its role in MAS, CRAMPS and delayed-acquisition experiments

Numerical simulations and experiments are used to show that the spin dynamics of the dipolar-coupled networks in solids is often strongly dependent on crystallite orientation. In particular, different rates of dephasing of the magnetisation mean that NMR signals obtained at longer dephasing times are dominated by orientations in which the local dipolar coupling strength is relatively weak. This often leads to a distinct improvement in spectral resolution as the dephasing time is increased. The effects are particularly noticeable under magic-angle spinning (MAS), but are also observed when homonuclear decoupling is used to reduce the rate of dipolar dephasing. Numerical simulation is seen to be a powerful and easily used tool for understanding the behaviour of solid-state NMR experiments involving dipolar-coupled networks. The implications for solid-state NMR spectra of abundant spins acquired under MAS and homonuclear decoupling are discussed, as well as insights provided into the performance of 'delayed-acquisition' and 'constant-time' experiments.     

Radio frequency-driven recoupling at high magic-angle spinning frequencies: homonuclear recoupling sans heteronuclear decoupling

We describe solid-state NMR homonuclear recoupling experiments at high magic-angle spinning (MAS) frequencies using the radio frequency-driven recoupling (RFDR) scheme. The effect of heteronuclear decoupling interference during RFDR recoupling at high spinning frequencies is investigated experimentally and via numerical simulations, resulting in the identification of optimal decoupling conditions. The effects of MAS frequency, RF field amplitude, bandwidth, and chemical shift offsets are examined. Most significantly, it is shown that broadband homonuclear correlation spectra can be efficiently obtained using RFDR without decoupling during the mixing period in fully protonated samples, thus considerably reducing the rf power requirements for acquisition of (13)C-(13)C correlation spectra. The utility of RFDR sans decoupling is demonstrated with broadband correlation spectra of a peptide and a model protein at high MAS frequencies and high magnetic field.     

Differential line broadening in MAS solid-state NMR due to dynamic interference

Many MAS (magic angle spinning) solid-state NMR investigations of biologically relevant protein samples are hampered by poor resolution, particularly in the 15N chemical shift dimension. We show that dynamics in the nanosecond-microsecond time scale in solid-state samples can induce significant line broadening of 15N resonances in solid-state NMR experiments. Averaging of 15NH(alpha/beta) multiplet components due to 1H decoupling induces effective relaxation of the 15N coherence in case the N-H spin pair undergoes significant motion. High resolution solid-state NMR spectra can then only be recorded by application of TROSY (Transverse Relaxation Optimized Spectroscopy) type techniques which select the narrow component of the multiplet pattern. We speculate that this effect has been the major obstacle to the NMR spectroscopic characterization of many membrane proteins and fibrillar aggregates so far. Only in very favorable cases, where dynamics are either absent or very fast (picosecond), high-resolution spectra were obtained. We expect that this approach which requires intense deuteration will have a significant impact on the quality and the rate at which solid-state NMR spectroscopic investigations will emerge in the future.     

13C CPMAS spectroscopy of deuterated proteins: CP dynamics, line shapes, and T1 relaxation

(13)C CPMAS NMR has been investigated in application to protein samples with a variety of deuteration patterns. Samples were prepared with protons in either all hydrogen positions, only in the exchangeable sites, or in the exchangeable sites plus select methyl groups. CP dynamics, T(1) relaxation times, and (13)C line widths have been compared. Using ubiquitin as a model system, reasonable (1)H-(13)C CP transfer is observed for the extensively deuterated samples. In the absence of deuterium decoupling, the (13)C line widths observed for the deuterated samples are identical to those observed for the perprotio samples with a MAS rate of 20 kHz. Extensive deuteration has little effect on the T(1) of the exchangeable protons. On the basis of these observations, it is clear that there are no substantive compromises accompanying the use of extensive deuteration in the design of (1)H, (15)N, or (13)C solid-state NMR methods.     

Homonuclear Decoupling in 1H NMR of Solids by Remote Correlation

The typical linewidths of ¹H NMR spectra of powdered organic solids at 111 kHz magic-angle spinning (MAS) are of the order of a few hundred Hz. While this is remarkable in comparison to the tens of kHz observed in spectra of static samples, it is still the key limit to the use of ¹H in solid-state NMR, especially for complex systems. Here, we demonstrate a novel strategy to further improve the spectral resolution. We show that the anti-z-COSY experiment can be used to reduce the residual line broadening of ¹H NMR spectra of powdered organic solids. Results obtained with the anti-z-COSY sequence at 100 kHz MAS on thymol, β-AspAla, and strychnine show an improvement in resolution of up to a factor of two compared to conventional spectra acquired at the same spinning rate.     

Characterization of a new hexasodium diphosphopentamolybdate hydrate, Na6[P2Mo5O23]x7H2O, by 23Na MQMAS NMR spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction

A novel hexasodium disphosphopentamolybdate hydrate, Na6[P2Mo5O23]x7H2O, has been identified using X-ray powder diffraction, 1H, 23Na, and 31P magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, and 23Na multiple-quantum (MQ) MAS NMR. Powder XRD reveals that the hydrate belongs to the triclinic spacegroup P1 with cell dimensions a = 10.090(3) A, b = 15.448(5) A, c = 8.460(4) A, alpha = 101.45(6) degrees, beta = 104.09(2) degrees, gamma = 90.71(5) degrees, and Z = 2. The number of water molecules of crystallization has been determined on the basis of a quantitative evaluation of the 1H MAS NMR spectrum, the crystallographic unit cell volume, and a hydrogen content analysis. The 23Na MQMAS NMR spectra of Na6[P2Mo5O23]x7H2O, obtained at three different magnetic fields, clearly resolve resonances from six different sodium sites and allow a determination of the second-order quadrupolar effect parameters and isotropic chemical shifts for the individual resonances. These data are used to determine the quadrupole coupling parameters (CQ and eta Q) from simulations of the complex line shapes of the central transitions, observed in 23Na MAS NMR spectra at the three magnetic fields. This analysis illustrates the advantages of combining MQMAS and MAS NMR at moderate and high magnetic fields for a precise determination of quadrupole coupling parameters and isotropic chemical shifts for multiple sodium sites in inorganic systems. 31P MAS NMR demonstrates the presence of two distinct P sites in the asymmetric unit of Na6[P2Mo5O23].7H2O while the 31P chemical shielding anisotropy parameters, determined for this hydrate and for Na6[P2Mo5O23]x13H2O, show that these two hydrates can easily be distinguished using 31P MAS NMR.     

Solid-State NMR of a Large Membrane Protein by Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement

Membrane proteins play an important role in many biological functions. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is uniquely suited for studying structure and dynamics of membrane proteins in a membranous environment. The major challenge to obtain high quality solid-state NMR spectra of membrane proteins is sensitivity, due to limited quantities of labeled high-molecular-weight proteins. Here we demonstrate the incorporation of paramagnetic metal (Cu(2+)) ions, through either EDTA or a chelator lipid, into membrane protein samples for rapid data collection under fast magic-angle spinning (MAS) and low power (1)H decoupling. Spectral sensitivity of DsbB (20 kDa), an integral membrane protein, more than doubles in the same experimental time due to (1)H T(1) relaxation enhancement by Cu(2+) ions, with DsbB native fold and active site intact. This technique can be implemented to acquire multidimensional solid-state NMR spectra for chemical shift assignments and structure elucidation of large membrane proteins with small sample quantities.     

Solid-state NMR spectra of paramagnetic silica-based materials: observation of 29Si and 27Al nuclei in the first coordination spheres of manganese ions

Some silica-based solids, prepared by the sol/gel method in the presence of high Mn2+ concentrations, have been characterized by the 29Si, 27Al MAS NMR spectra and 29Si T1 measurements. The single-pulse 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR spectra have shown broad spinning sideband patterns that are interpreted in terms of anisotropic bulky magnetic susceptibility (BMS) and dipole-field effects. In the absence of paramagnetic isotropic shifts, the 29Si and 27Al nuclei observed in the single-pulse NMR spectra have been assigned to nuclei remote from paramagnetic centers. It has been demonstrated that the 29Si and 27Al nuclei, which are in the vicinity of the manganese ions, can be detected by the Hahn-echo MAS NMR experiments at different carrier frequencies.     

Characterization of covalent linkages in organically functionalized MCM-41 mesoporous materials by solid-state NMR and theoretical calculations

The covalent linkages formed during functionalization of MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves with five chloroalkylsilanes ((EtO)3Si(CH2Cl), (MeO)3Si(CH2CH2CH2Cl), Cl3Si(CH2CH2CH3), Cl2Si(CH3)(CH2Cl) and Cl2Si(CH3)2) have been investigated using high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Structural information was obtained from 1H-13C and 1H-29Si heteronuclear (HETCOR) NMR spectra, in which high resolution in the 1H dimension was obtained by using fast MAS. The 1H-13C HETCOR results provided the assignments of 1H and 13C resonances associated with the surface functional groups. Sensitivity-enhanced 1H-29Si HETCOR spectra, acquired using Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill refocusing during data acquisition, revealed the identity of 29Si sites (Qn, Tn, and Dn) and the location of functional groups relative to these sites. Optimal geometries of local environments representing the Qn, Tn and Dn resonances were calculated using molecular mechanics and ab initio methods. Subsequently, DFT calculations of 29Si, 13C, and 1H chemical shifts were performed using Gaussian 03 at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) level. The theoretical calculations are in excellent accord with the experimental chemical shifts. This work illustrates that state-of-the-art spectroscopic and theoretical tools can be used jointly to refine the complex structures of inorganic-organic hybrid materials.