SIAM,a Novel NMR Experiment for the Determination of Homonuclear Coupling Constants

The simultaneous acquisition of in-phase and antiphase multiplets with high sensitivity and minimum overlap (see section of 2D spectra on the right) is possible in a novel NMR experiment. Based on this method, homonuclear coupling constants such as the ³J(H^N,H^α) couplings in peptides and proteins can be determined quantitatively without isotope labeling.     

15N-NMR Spectroscopy—New Methods and Applications [New Analytical Methods (28)]

The nitrogen nucleus is the third most important probe (after ¹H and ¹³C) for structural investigations of organic and bioorganic molecules by NMR spectroscopy. For a long time, however, the insufficient sensitivity and low natural abundance of the ¹⁵N isotope hampered detection of the ¹⁵N nucleus, and the quadrupolar ¹⁴N nucleus proved unsuitable for the study of larger molecules with several nonequivalent nitrogen atoms. The advent of new techniques, such as pulse sequences and polarization transfer, in conjunction with the use of high-field magnets and large-sample probe heads largely solved the detection problem. As a result, the last few years have seen a dramatic development of ¹⁵N-NMR spectroscopy as a versatile method for studying molecular structure, both in isotropic (liquid) and anisotropic (solid) phases. The scope of chemical applications extends from inorganic, organometallic, and organic chemistry to biochemistry and molecular biology, and includes the study of reactive intermediates, biopolymers, enzyme-inhibitor complexes, and nitrogen metabolism. Two-dimensional NMR techniques offer additional possibilities for detailed studies of biological systems.     

Fluorodibenzocyclooctynes: A Trackable Click Reagent with Enhanced Reactivity

Bioorthogonal reactions have widespread applications in biological systems, and development of new bioorthogonal reactions has been of great interest over the past two decades. In this work, the design and synthesis of a family of fluorinated dibenzocyclooctynes (FDIBOs) are reported. The electron-deficient nature of fluorine atoms significantly accelerated the reaction of cyclooctynes in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, with either benzyl azide or ethyl diazoacetate, compared to conventional dibenzocyclooctyne (DIBO). In addition, FDIBOs showed unique trackable properties owing to the high NMR sensitivity of the naturally abundant ¹⁹F isotope. Biological molecules, including a monosaccharide, a peptide, and a protein, were tested with FDIBOs, and these reactions could be easily monitored by ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy to evaluate the progress of the conjugation reactions. In addition, labeling of live cells was also demonstrated with metabolically modified bacteria to expand the possible applications of FDIBOs.     

High-Resolution 14N Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Even without expensive isotope enrichment, it is possible to obtain nitrogen NMR parameters in the solid state. The isotropic chemical shifts in hexagonal and cubic boron nitride, and for the hexagonal modification also the quadrupole coupling, can thus be obtained for the first time. The recorded ¹⁴N MAS NMR spectrum (28.809 MHz) of hexagonal boron nitride is shown on the right.     

Further evidence of incorporation of chromium ions into the framework of silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves

Three different molecular sieves were synthesised and characterized using³¹P and²⁷Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P and²⁷Al MAS NMR) spectroscopy and acidity measurement techniques. The synthesized solids were: a silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO-11) sample, a chromium-substituted silicoaluminophosphate (CrAPSO-11) sample and a chromium-supported SAPO-11 (Cr/SAPO-11) sample. Significant differences were observed between the CrAPSO-11 MAS NMR spectra and the spectra for the other two solids. The differences can be understood in terms of a different chemical environment for the Al(III) and P(V) ions in the molecular sieve framework, as a result of a different type of interaction, probably with substituted chromium ions in the framework. The acidity measurements were in agreement with the MAS NMR spectroscopy results, providing further evidence for the incorporation of chromium ions into the molecular sieve framework.     

N7‐ and N9‐substituted purine derivatives: a 15N NMR study

The ¹⁵N NMR chemical shifts of N⁷‐ and N⁹‐substituted purine derivatives were investigated systematically at the natural abundance level of the ¹⁵N isotope. The NMR chemical shifts were determined and assigned using GSQMBC, GHMBC, GHMQC and GHSQC experiments in solution. ¹⁵N cross‐polarization magic angle spinning data were recorded for selected compounds in order to study the principal values of the ¹⁵N chemical shifts. Geometric parameters obtained by using RHF/6–31G** and single‐crystal x‐ray structural analysis were used to calculate the chemical‐shielding constants (GIAO and IGLO) which were then used to assign the nitrogen resonances observed in the solid‐state NMR spectra and to determine the orientation of the principal components of the shift tensors. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Efficient Labelling Approach to Harness Backbone and Side‐Chain Protons in 1H‐Detected Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy

¹H‐detection can greatly improve spectral sensitivity in biological solid‐state NMR (ssNMR), thus allowing the study of larger and more complex proteins. However, the general requirement to perdeuterate proteins critically curtails the potential of ¹H‐detection by the loss of aliphatic side‐chain protons, which are important probes for protein structure and function. Introduced herein is a labelling scheme for ¹H‐detected ssNMR, and it gives high quality spectra for both side‐chain and backbone protons, and allows quantitative assignments and aids in probing interresidual contacts. Excellent ¹H resolution in membrane proteins is obtained, the topology and dynamics of an ion channel were studied. This labelling scheme will open new avenues for the study of challenging proteins by ssNMR.     

Improved chemical synthesis of o-nirtrobenzyl-tyrosine for concise site-specific 15N-tyrosine NMR analysis demonstrated by plant ABA receptor PYL10

The yield of unnatural amino acid o-nitrobenzyl-tyrosine (oNBTyr), which was able to recover to natural tyrosine after UV-photocleavage was greatly improved from 20% to 81% by using 2-nitrobenzyl bromide as the nucleophilic reagent. Through genetically introducing ¹⁵N-oNBY and consequent photo-cleavage, the site-specific ¹⁵N-Tyr NMR analysis of plant ABA (abscisic acid) receptor PYL10 was implemented without any residue variation. This isotope labelling of tyrosine onto protein backbone provides a convenient strategy for NMR analysis.     

Labeling Strategy and Signal Broadening Mechanism of Protein NMR Spectroscopy in Xenopus laevis Oocytes

We used Xenopus laevis oocytes, a paradigm for a variety of biological studies, as a eukaryotic model system for in‐cell protein NMR spectroscopy. The small globular protein GB1 was one of the first studied in Xenopus oocytes, but there have been few reports since then of high‐resolution spectra in oocytes. The scarcity of data is at least partly due to the lack of good labeling strategies and the paucity of information on resonance broadening mechanisms. Here, we systematically evaluate isotope enrichment and labeling methods in oocytes injected with five different proteins with molecular masses of 6 to 54 kDa. ¹⁹F labeling is more promising than ¹⁵N, ¹³C, and ²H enrichment. We also used ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy to quantify the contribution of viscosity, weak interactions, and sample inhomogeneity to resonance broadening in cells. We found that the viscosity in oocytes is only about 1.2 times that of water, and that inhomogeneous broadening is a major factor in determining line width in these cells.     

Serial Polarization Transfer by Combination of Cross-Relaxation and Rotational Resonance for Sensitivity-Enhanced Solid-State NMR

Methods which induce site-specificity and sensitivity enhancement in solid-state magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy become more important for structural biology due to the increasing size of molecules under investigation. Recently, several strategies have been developed to increase site specificity and thus reduce signal overlap. Under dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) for NMR signal enhancement, it is possible to use cross-relaxation transfer induced by select dynamic groups within the molecules which is exploited by SCREAM-DNP (Specific Cross Relaxation Enhancement by Active Motions under DNP). Here, we present an approach where we additionally reintroduce the homonuclear dipolar coupling with rotational resonance (R²) during SCREAM-DNP to further boost the selectivity of the experiment. Detailed analysis of the polarization buildup dynamics of ¹³C-methyl polarization source and ¹³C-carbonyl target in 2-¹³C-ethyl 1-¹³C-acetate provides information about the sought-after and spurious transfer pathways. We show that dipolar-recoupled transfer rates greatly exceed the DNP buildup dynamics in our model system, indicating that significantly larger distances can be selectively and efficiently hyperpolarized.     

Enhancing NMR Sensitivity of Natural‐Abundance Low‐γ Nuclei by Ultrafast Magic‐Angle‐Spinning Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy

Although magic‐angle‐spinning (MAS) solid‐state NMR spectroscopy has been able to provide piercing atomic‐level insights into the structure and dynamics of various solids, the poor sensitivity has limited its widespread application, especially when the sample amount is limited. Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility of acquiring high S/N ratio natural‐abundance ¹³C NMR spectrum of a small amount of sample (≈2.0 mg) by using multiple‐contact cross polarization (MCP) under ultrafast MAS. As shown by our data from pharmaceutical compounds, the signal enhancement achieved depends on the number of CP contacts employed within a single scan, which depends on the T_1ρ of protons. The use of MCP for fast 2D ¹H/¹³C heteronuclear correlation experiments is also demonstrated. The significant signal enhancement can be greatly beneficial for the atomic‐resolution characterization of many types of crystalline solids including polymorphic drugs and nanomaterials.     

Magnetic Resonance of Paramagnetic Complexes

The line width of the ESR and NMR signals of paramagnetic transition metal complexes is determined mainly by the electron spin-lattice relaxation time τ_e. Values of τ_e greater than 10^?9 lead to ESR spectra that are readily resolved, while values smaller than 10^?11 give NMR spectra having small line widths. Since fast relaxation processes are effective in nearly all transition metal complexes with several unpaired electrons and in all complexes having an orbitally degenerate ground state, the NMR method has a wider scope. The sign and magnitude of the electron-nucleus coupling can be determined with great sensitivity from the NMR spectra, whereas only the magnitude of this interaction can be determined from the ESR spectra. Free spin densities can be found very accurately from the NMR shifts, and the method can therefore be advantageously applied to kinetic measurements, e.g. on short-lived contact complexes.     

Solid‐State NMR Investigations on the Amorphous Network of Precursor‐Derived Si2B2N5C4 Ceramics

Employing a multitude of modern solid state NMR techniques including ¹³C{¹⁵N}REDOR NMR, ¹H–¹³C CP NMR, ¹¹B MQMAS NMR spectroscopic experiments, the structural organization of Si₂B₂N₅C₄ ceramic has been studied. The experiments were executed on double isotope enriched (¹³C, ¹⁵N) and natural isotope abundance Si₂B₂N₅C₄ ceramics. The materials were synthesized by aminolysis and subsequent pyrolysis of intermediate pre‐ceramic polymers that were obtained from the single source precursor TSDE, 1‐(trichlorosilyl)‐1‐(dichloroboryl)ethane (Cl₃Si–CH(CH₃)–BCl₂). The result of the ¹³C{¹⁵N} REDOR NMR spectroscopic experiment shows that carbon atoms are incorporated into the network by bridging to nitrogen, which already occurs during the polymerization step. Furthermore, the combined results of ¹¹B NMR and ¹¹B MQMAS NMR indicate that boron atoms may also be connected to carbon in addition to nitrogen.     

13C‐TmDOTA as versatile thermometer compound for solid‐state NMR of hydrated lipid bilayer membranes

Recent advances in solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques, such as magic angle spinning and high‐power decoupling, have dramatically increased the sensitivity and resolution of NMR. However, these NMR techniques generate extra heat, causing a temperature difference between the sample in the rotor and the variable temperature gas. This extra heating is a particularly crucial problem for hydrated lipid membrane samples. Thus, to develop an NMR thermometer that is suitable for hydrated lipid samples, thulium‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetraacetate (TmDOTA) was synthesized and labeled with ¹³C (i.e., ¹³C‐TmDOTA) to increase the NMR sensitivity. The complex was mixed with a hydrated lipid membrane, and the system was subjected to solid‐state NMR and differential scanning calorimetric analyses. The physical properties of the lipid bilayer and the quality of the NMR spectra of the membrane were negligibly affected by the presence of ¹³C‐TmDOTA, and the ¹³C chemical shift of the complex exhibited a large‐temperature dependence. The results demonstrated that ¹³C‐TmDOTA could be successfully used as a thermometer to accurately monitor temperature changes induced by ¹H decoupling pulses and/or by magic angle spinning and the temperature distribution of the sample inside the rotor. Thus, ¹³C‐TmDOTA was shown to be a versatile thermometer for hydrated lipid assemblies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of H2-Splitting Products of Frustrated Lewis Pairs: Benefit of Fast Magic-Angle Spinning

Proton spectroscopy in solid-state NMR on catalytic materials offers new opportunities in structural characterization, in particular of reaction products of catalytic reactions such as hydrogenation reactions. Unfortunately, the ¹H NMR line widths in magic-angle spinning solid-state spectra are often broadened by an incomplete averaging of ¹H-¹H dipolar couplings. We herein discuss two model compounds, namely the H₂-splitting products of two phosphane-borane Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs), to study potentials and limitations of proton solid-state NMR experiments employing magic-angle spinning frequencies larger than 100 kHz at a static magnetic field strength of 20.0 T. The ¹H lines are homogeneously broadened as illustrated by spin-echo decay experiments. We study two structurally similar materials which however show significant differences in ¹H line widths which we explain by differences in their ¹H-¹H dipolar networks. We discuss the benefit of fast MAS experiments up to 110 kHz to detect the resonances of the H⁺/H⁻ pair in the hydrogenation products of FLPs.     

Quadruple‐Resonance Magic‐Angle Spinning NMR Spectroscopy of Deuterated Solid Proteins

¹H‐detected magic‐angle spinning NMR experiments facilitate structural biology of solid proteins, which requires using deuterated proteins. However, often amide protons cannot be back‐exchanged sufficiently, because of a possible lack of solvent exposure. For such systems, using ²H excitation instead of ¹H excitation can be beneficial because of the larger abundance and shorter longitudinal relaxation time, T₁, of deuterium. A new structure determination approach, “quadruple‐resonance NMR spectroscopy”, is presented which relies on an efficient ²H‐excitation and ²H‐¹³C cross‐polarization (CP) step, combined with ¹H detection. We show that by using ²H‐excited experiments better sensitivity is possible on an SH3 sample recrystallized from 30 % H₂O. For a membrane protein, the ABC transporter ArtMP in native lipid bilayers, different sets of signals can be observed from different initial polarization pathways, which can be evaluated further to extract structural properties.     

Dynamics in the crystalline polymorphic forms I and II and form III of isotactic poly‐1‐butene

Following an earlier study of the ¹H relaxation and NMR line shapes, we have carried out selective one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional ¹³C solid‐state NMR studies that yield to detailed interpretation of the dynamics in form I, II, and III polymorphs of isotactic poly‐1‐butene. A specific defect diffusion along the side group is proposed to account for the temperature dependence of the ¹³C spectra in form I. The backbone of the helix in forms II and III is shown to undergo large angle motions above the glass‐transition temperature. High‐resolution solid‐state ¹³C two‐dimensional exchange NMR under magic‐angle spinning with cross‐polarization techniques demonstrates the existence of slow rotational jumps of the helices in form III with typical jump rates of about 10 s⁻¹. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2611–2624, 2000     

13C Kinetic Isotope Effect of the Pudovik Reaction

Abstract

¹³C kinetic isotope effect (KIE) was determined by means of ¹³C NMR for the carbonyl atom in 2-nitrobenzaldehyde in its reaction with 2H-2-oxo-5,5-dimethyl-4-phenyl-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane in acetonitrile at 25°C. The observed isotope effect k₁₂/k₁₃ = 1.0238 ± 0.0031 evidences that the formation of the P?C bond in the Pudovik reaction catalyzed by triethylamine is less advanced than the π-bond breakage of the aldehyde carbonyl group.     

Solid‐State NMR Characterization of Wilkinson’s Catalyst Immobilized in Mesoporous SBA‐3 Silica

The Wilkinson’s catalyst [RhCl(PPh₃)₃] has been immobilized inside the pores of amine functionalized mesoporous silica material SBA‐3 and The structure of the modified silica surface and the immobilized rhodium complex was determined by a combination of different solid‐state NMR methods. The successful modification of the silica surface was confirmed by ²⁹Si CP‐MAS NMR experiments. The presence of the T_n peaks confirms the successful functionalization of the support and shows the way of binding the organic groups to the surface of the mesopores. ³¹P‐³¹P J‐resolved 2D MAS NMR experiments were conducted in order to characterize the binding of the immobilized catalyst to the amine groups of the linkers attached to the silica surface. The pure catalyst exhibits a considerable ³¹P‐³¹P J‐coupling, well resolvable in 2D MAS NMR experiments. This J‐coupling was utilized to determine the binding mode of the catalyst to the linkers on the silica surface and the number of triphenylphosphine ligands that are replaced by coordination bonds to the amine groups. From the absence of any resolvable ³¹P‐³¹P J‐coupling in off‐magic‐angle‐spinning experiments, as well as slow‐spinning MAS experiments, it is concluded, that two triphenylphosphine ligands are replaced and that the catalyst is bonded to the silica surface through two linker molecules.