Influence of sodium ion dynamics on the 23Na quadrupolar interaction in sodalite: a high-temperature 23Na MAS NMR study

High-temperature ²³Na MAS NMR experiments up to 873 K for a number of different sodalites (Na₈[AlSiO₄]₆(NO₃)₂, Na₈[AlSiO₄]₆(NO₂)₂, Na₈[AlSiO₄]₆I₂, Na_7.9[AlSiO₄]₆(SCN)_7.9 · 0.5H₂O, Na₈[AlGeO₄]₆(NO₃)₂, and Na₇[AlSiO₄]₆(H₃O₂) · 4H₂O) were carried out. The spectra of the first five sodalites consist of a quadrupolar MAS pattern with different quadrupolar coupling constants. The quadrupolar interaction for the thiocyanate sodalite, the nitrate aluminosilicate, and germanate sodalite decreases strongly passing a coalescence state on heating, while the quadrupolar interaction of the iodide and nitrite sample shows nearly no change. The basic hydrosodalite shows an asymmetric lineshape at room temperature and, between 350 and 370 K, a second line due to the evaporation of cage-water emerges. The linewidth increases with rising temperature. The temperature dependence of the quadrupolar interaction seems to be a function of the sodalite β-cage expansion. Two conceivable jump mechanisms are proposed for a tetrahedral two-site jump between occupied and unoccupied tetrahedral sites.     

Determination of the (Na) Sternheimer antishielding factor by Na NMR spectroscopy on sodium oxide chloride, Na3OCl

The (Na⁺) Sternheimer antishielding factor γ_∞ (Na⁺) was determined by ²³Na NMR spectroscopy on sodium oxide chloride, Na₃OCl. The quadrupolar coupling constant of the sodium ion in Na₃OCl was determined to QCC=11.34 MHz, which presents the largest coupling constant of a sodium nucleus observed so far. Applying a simple point charge model, the largest principal value of the electric field gradient at the sodium site was calculated to V_zz=−6.76762·10²⁰ V/m². From these values we calculated the (Na⁺) Sternheimer antishielding factor to γ_∞ (Na⁺)=−5.36. In sodium oxide, Na₂O, we observed an isotropic chemical shift of δ_CS=55.1 ppm, referenced to 1 M aqueous NaCl (δ=0 ppm).     

Sodium-23 MAS NMR study on nuclear quadrupole interaction in Na1−xAgxNO2

Ag-impurity effects on the first- and second-order quadrupole interaction (QI) at ²³Na site in an isomorphic mixed system, Na_1−xAg_xNO₂ (x=0, 0.0084, 0.026, 0.079, 0.094, 0.16), have been investigated by employing ²³Na (I=3/2) magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) technique. The central transition (CT) and satellite transition (ST) are simultaneously observed with this system. From the spectral analysis, the quadrupole parameter and its distribution width are obtained as a function of Ag concentration. From the intensity loss of CT MAS centerband and of the envelope function of ST MAS sidebands due to impurities, the range of their influence on the second- and first-order QI is estimated. The estimated ranges contain the second and first neighbouring Na sites from the resonating ²³Na nucleus for the first- and second-order QI, respectively.     

Double quantum transition as the origin of the central dip in the z-spectrum of HDO in variably stretched gel

The ²H NMR spectrum of HDO in gelatin gel, that is stretched inside silicone rubber tubing, displays a well resolved doublet. Spectra were obtained with a range of offset frequencies of partially saturating radio-frequency (RF) radiation. The resulting steady-state irradiation envelope (also referred to as a ‘z-spectrum’) has the peculiar feature that maximal suppression of the doublet occurs when the irradiation is applied exactly at the centre frequency, between the two HDO peaks. We present a quantum mechanical explanation for this phenomenon. It is shown that the phenomenon is the result of double quantum transitions. The analysis is extendable to more complex quadrupolar and dipolar-coupled systems of other nuclides. It has implications for enhancement of contrast in magnetic resonance imaging of heterogeneous systems using dipolar and quadrupolar interactions.