In vivo comprehensive multiphase NMR

Traditionally, due to different hardware requirements, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has developed as two separate fields: one dealing with solids, and one with solutions. Comprehensive multiphase (CMP) NMR combines all electronics and hardware (magic angle spinning [MAS], gradients, high power Radio Frequency (RF) handling, lock, susceptibility matching) into a universal probe that permits a comprehensive study of all phases (i.e., liquid, gel-like, semisolid, and solid), in intact samples. When applied in vivo, it provides unique insight into the wide array of bonds in a living system from the most mobile liquids (blood, fluids) through gels (muscle, tissues) to the most rigid (exoskeleton, shell). In this tutorial, the practical aspects of in vivo CMP NMR are discussed including: handling the organisms, rotor preparation, sample spinning, water suppression, editing experiments, and finishes with a brief look at the potential of other heteronuclei (²H, ¹⁵N, ¹⁹F, ³¹P) for in vivo research. The tutorial is aimed as a general resource for researchers interested in developing and applying MAS-based approaches to living organisms. Although the focus here is CMP NMR, many of the approaches can be adapted (or directly applied) using conventional high-resolution magic angle spinning, and in some cases, even standard solid-state NMR probes.     

Identifying aspirin polymorphs from combined DFT-based crystal structure prediction and solid-state NMR

A combined experimental and computational approach was used to distinguish between different polymorphs of the pharmaceutical drug aspirin. This method involves the use of ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS), a density functional theory (DFT)-based crystal structure prediction method for the high-accuracy prediction of polymorphic structures, with DFT calculations of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters and solid-state NMR experiments at natural abundance. AIRSS was used to predict the crystal structures of form-I and form-II of aspirin. The root-mean-square deviation between experimental and calculated ¹H chemical shifts was used to identify form-I as the polymorph present in the experimental sample, the selection being successful despite the large similarities between the molecular environments in the crystals of the two polymorphs.     

Measurement of the hydrodynamic radii of PEE-G dendrons by diffusion spectroscopy on a benchtop NMR spectrometer

Benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a useful tool for the rapid determination of the self-diffusion coefficient and the hydrodynamic radius of dendrons. The self-diffusion coefficients of the first four generations of poly ethoxy ethyl glycinamide (PEE-G) dendrons are measured by diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) on a benchtop NMR equipped with diffusion gradient coils. The hydrodynamic radii of the dendrons are calculated via the Stokes–Einstein equation. The effects of solvent and pH are determined with the hydrodynamic radius increasing with generation and decreasing upon neutralization of an acidic solution. These measurements provide valuable information for biological and pharmaceutical applications of dendrons.     

5-amino-2-methylpyridinium hydrogen fumarate: An XRD and NMR crystallography analysis

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction structures of the 5-amino-2-methylpyridinium hydrogen fumarate salt have been solved at 150 and 300 K (CCDC 1952142 and 1952143). A base–acid–base–acid ring is formed through pyridinium-carboxylate and amine-carboxylate hydrogen bonds that hold together chains formed from hydrogen-bonded hydrogen fumarate ions. ¹H and ¹³C chemical shifts as well as ¹⁴N shifts that additionally depend on the quadrupolar interaction are determined by experimental magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gauge-including projector-augmented wave (GIPAW) calculation. Two-dimensional homonuclear ¹H-¹H double-quantum (DQ) MAS and heteronuclear ¹H-¹³C and ¹⁴N-¹H spectra are presented. Only small differences of up to 0.1 and 0.6 ppm for ¹H and ¹³C are observed between GIPAW calculations starting with the two structures solved at 150 and 300 K (after geometry optimisation of atomic positions, but not unit cell parameters). A comparison of GIPAW-calculated ¹H chemical shifts for isolated molecules and the full crystal structures is indicative of hydrogen bonding strength.     

Triphilic pentablock copolymers with perfluoroalkyl segment in central position

Adding perfluoroalkyl (PF) segments to amphiphilic copolymers yields triphilic copolymers with new application profiles. Usually, PF segments are attached as terminal blocks via Cu(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). The purpose of the current study is to design new triphilic architectures with a PF segment in central position. The PF segment bearing bifunctional atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator is employed for the fabrication of triphilic poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-b-PF-b-poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-b-poly(propylene oxide) PPO-b-PGMA-b-PF-b-PGMA-b-PPO pentablock copolymers by a combined ATRP and CuAAC reaction approach. Differential scanning calorimetry indicates the PF-initiator to undergo a solid–solid phase transition at 63°C before the final crystal melting at 95°C. This is further corroborated by polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. The PF-initiator could successfully polymerize solketal methacrylate (SMA) under typical ATRP conditions producing well-defined Br-PSMA-b-PF-b-PSMA-Br triblock copolymers that are then converted into PPO-b-PSMA-b-PF-b-PSMA-b-PPO pentablock copolymer via CuAAC reaction. Subsequently, acid hydrolysis of the PSMA blocks afforded water soluble well-defined triphilic pentablock copolymers PPO-b-PGMA-b-PF-b-PGMA-b-PPO with fluorophilic central segment, hydrophilic middle blocks, and lipophilic outer blocks. The triphilic block copolymers could self-assemble, depending upon the preparatory protocol, into spherical and filament-like phase-separated nanostructures as revealed by transmission electron microscopy.     

Cross-polarization with magic-angle spinning kinetics and impedance spectroscopy study of proton mobility,local disorder,and thermal equilibration in hydrogen-bonded poly(methacrylic acid)

The ¹H–¹³C cross-polarization with magic-angle spinning (CP MAS) kinetics was studied in poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) having the purpose to track the links between the local order in the main chain and the proton dynamics in peripheral hydrogen bond networks. The experimental CP MAS kinetic curves were analyzed applying the models of isotropic and anisotropic spin-diffusion with thermal equilibration. The fractal dimension D_p ≈ 3 was deduced that indicates that PMAA behaves as an isotropic 3D-system. No proton conductivity in the neat PMAA was deduced from the impedance spectroscopy data analyzing the frequency dependences of the complex dielectric permittivity. The value of local order parameter S = 0.70 for CH₂ in PMAA occupies an intermediate position between 0.63 and 0.85 deduced for CH₂ sites in the main chains of poly(vinyl phosphonic acid) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), that is, the true proton conductor and the polymer that contains the H-bond network, however, no proton conductivity, respectively.     

IR and Raman spectra with Gaussian-09 molecular analysis of some other parameters and vibrational spectra of 5-fluoro-uracil

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Recorded IR and Raman spectra of 5-fluoro-uracil have been analyzed with the carried out theoretical computation by Gaussian-09 [DFT/B3LYP/6-311?++G**]...