Synthesis and properties of oxadiazole based V-shaped, shape persistent nematogens

A series of biaxial V-shaped, shape-persistent molecules has been synthesised by stepwise coupling of phenylene ethynylene arms to an oxadiazole bending unit. Studies of their thermotropic nematic phases point to phase biaxiality.     

Deuterium double-quantum NMR with magic angle spinning

The combination of double-quantum NMR with magic angle spinning is demonstrated for deuterium in solids Under magic angle spinning the single-quantum resonance lines are extremely sensitive to spinner angle adjustment and stability while the double-quantum lines are not. This provides an additional approach to high resolution.     

Microcoil high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy

We report the construction of a dual-channel microcoil nuclear magnetic resonance probehead allowing magic-angle spinning for mass-limited samples. With coils down to 235 mum inner diameter, this allows high-resolution solid-state NMR spectra to be obtained for amounts of materials of a few nanoliters. This is demonstrated by the carbon-13 spectrum of a tripeptide and a single silk rod, prepared from the silk gland of the Bombyx mori silkworm. Furthermore, the microcoil allows for radio frequency field strengths well beyond current probe technology, aiding in getting the highest possible resolution by efficiently decoupling the observed nuclei from the abundantly present proton nuclei.     

Comparison of "Polarization inversion with spin exchange at magic angle" and "geometric analysis of labeled alanines" methods for transmembrane helix alignment

Using the model alpha-helical peptide acetyl-GGALW5LALALALALALALW19LAGA-ethanolamide ("GWALP23"), we have compared the polarization inversion with spin exchange at magic angle method and geometric analysis of labeled alanines method for estimating the transmembrane helix orientation. For GWALP23 in bilayers of a short lipid, dilauroylphosphatidylcholine, we find general agreement between the two methods, with a static helix tilt of about 11degrees-13degrees with respect to the bilayer normal.     

Gallium cluster "magic melters"

Calorimetry measurements (using a method based on multicollision induced dissociation) have been performed for unsupported gallium clusters, Gan+ (n = 30-50 and 55). Melting transitions have been identified from spikes in the heat capacities recorded as a function of temperature. There are enormous fluctuations in the melting temperatures and the heats of fusion with cluster size. Clusters with n = 31, 33, 37, and 45-47 are "magic melters" with particularly well-defined melting transitions. There is a strong correlation between the heats of fusion, entropies of fusion, and the stabilities of the clusters. However, these quantities are not strongly correlated with the melting temperatures.     

High resolution magic angle spinning NMR in combinatorial chemistry

Solid phase organic chemistry coupled with combinatorial methods promises to increase dramatically the diversity and number of small molecules available for medical and biological applications. However, optimizing the reaction conditions can be a time consuming step, especially since analytical tools to monitor reaction progress and detect impurities for solid phase chemistry are less developed than for solution chemistry. The use of high resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) NMR is described here as such an analytical tool. Whereas initial applications of molecular identification using deuterated organic solvents to swell the resins presented a significant gain in time over the cleave-and-analysis methods, the introduction of a differential diffusion filter has made immediate recording of spectra possible without any sample treatment. The applications of HRMAS NMR to different solid supports that are used in combinatorial chemistry will be described in terms of rapidity, robustness and sensitivity.     

High resolution solid state nmr and magic angle spinning

The interactions which broaden the NMR of nuclei in powdered solids are discussed. The means of selective removal or attenuation of these interactions via rotations in spin space, or in real space are treated. Average Hamiltonian theory is used to develop the formalism.     

Solid effect in magic angle spinning dynamic nuclear polarization

For over five decades, the solid effect (SE) has been heavily utilized as a mechanism for performing dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). Nevertheless, it has not found widespread application in contemporary, high magnetic field DNP experiments because SE enhancements display an ω(0) (-2) field dependence. In particular, for nominally forbidden zero and double quantum SE transitions to be partially allowed, it is necessary for mixing of adjacent nuclear spin states to occur, and this leads to the observed field dependence. However, recently we have improved our instrumentation and report here an enhancement of ? = 91 obtained with the organic radical trityl (OX063) in magic angle spinning experiments performed at 5 T and 80 K. This is a factor of 6-7 higher than previous values in the literature under similar conditions. Because the solid effect depends strongly on the microwave field strength, we attribute this large enhancement to larger microwave field strengths inside the sample volume, achieved with more efficient coupling of the gyrotron to the sample chamber. In addition, we develop a theoretical model to explain the dependence of the buildup rate of enhanced nuclear polarization and the steady-state enhancement on the microwave power. Buildup times and enhancements were measured as a function of (1)H concentration for both trityl and Gd-DOTA. Comparison of the results indicates that for trityl the initial polarization step is the slower, rate-determining step. However, for Gd-DOTA the spread of nuclear polarization via homonuclear (1)H spin diffusion is rate-limiting. Finally, we discuss the applicability of the solid effect at fields > 5 T and the requirements to address the unfavorable field dependence of the solid effect.     

51V magic angle spinning NMR in VOPO4 phases

51V magic angle spinning NMR was applied to the alpha(II), beta and gamma phases of VOPO4 at three magnetic field strengths (4.7, 7.1, and 11.7 T). The 51V quadrupole and chemical shift tensors were determined by iterative fitting of the NMR lineshapes at the three magnetic field strengths. The applicability of the method is illustrated by comparison with literature data. Although determined chemical shift tensors are completely axially symmetric and of the same magnitude, all studied phases can clearly be distinguished by their quadrupole coupling tensor. Relationships between the 51V NMR data and structural characteristics such as crystal symmetries are discussed.     

Multi-dimensional pulsed field gradient magic angle spinning NMR experiments on membranes

The benefits of gradient techniques in the study of lipid membranes are demonstrated on a sample of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3 phosphocholine (POPC) liposomes embedded with ibuprofen. Most techniques from gradient NMR spectroscopy on solution samples are directly applicable to membrane samples subjected to magic angle spinning (MAS). Gradient-enhanced homo- and heteronuclear chemical shift correlation techniques were used to make resonance assignments. Gradient NOESY experiments provide insight into the location and dynamics of lipids, ibuprofen and water. Application of gradients not only reduces experiment time but also the t(1) noise in the multi-dimensional spectra. Diffusion measurements with pulsed field gradients characterize lateral movements of lipid and drug molecules in membranes. The theoretical framework for data analysis of MAS diffusion experiments on randomly oriented multilamellar liposomes is presented.     

High-resolution and cross-polarization magic angle spinning NMR studies of tricarbonylchromium complexes with polycyclic aromatic ligands

The strategy of investigation of the structures and transformations of organometallic compounds by high-resolution NMR spectroscopy in solutions and in the solid state (cross-polarization magic angle spinning NMR) was considered in relation to tricarbonylchromium complexes with polycyclic aromatic ligands.     

Scalar coupling and frequency shift in liquid crystal solvents spinning at the magic angle

When a nuclear spin system dissolved in a liquid crystal is spun at the magic angle, it is shown that unusual N.M.R. spectral features are observed when the spinning frequency approaches the chemical shift difference between a pair of coupled nuclei. A detailed experimental analysis shows a strong enhancement of the sideband intensities as well as a resonance frequency shift analogous to a level anticrossing situation. The total frequency shift appears to be equal to the scalar spin-spin coupling between the nuclei concerned.     

Triple-quantum magic angle spinning (27)Al NMR of aluminum hydroxides

We show that (27)Al triple-quantum magic angle spinning (3Q-MAS) experiments alleviate the second-order quadrupolar broadening to reveal the structure-building units of nonequivalent aluminum octahedra in the most extensively studied aluminum hydroxides, namely, gibbsite, bayerite, and boehmite. Further, aided by ab initio calculations of the electric field gradient tensors, the 3Q-MAS/MAS results are shown to lead to the assignment of (27)Al isotropic resonances to the aluminum positions in their X-ray-determined structures. The present work paves the way for future studies on various structurally transformed materials derived from these basic aluminum hydroxides.     

Adiabatic passage Hartmann-Hahn cross polarization in NMR under magic angle sample spinning

We have recently demonstrated that polarization transfer using an adiabatic passage through the Hartmann-Hahn condition (APHH-CP) by a variation of the radio-frequency amplitude can substantially improve the transfer efficiency over Hartmann-Hahn cross polarization. Here we show that APHH-CP can be combined with fast magic angle sample spinning (MAS). The heteronuclear dipolar order, established in the course of the transfer, can indeed be created and preserved.     

1H magic angle rotation NMR in polymer studies

The principles of the method of NMR line narrowing by measurement with spinning of the sample about the magic axis (MAR-NMR) are introduced, with particular emphasis on the effects of internal motion upon the possibilities and limitations of the method. The applications of the method in ¹H-NMR studies of polymer structure and dynamics are then reviewed. Due to both theoretical and experimental limitations, narrowing of dipolar broadened NMR lines by MAR can be observed in ¹H NMR spectra only in those cases where internal motion is anisotropic, or in heterogeneous systems where line width is limited by differences of magnetic susceptibility. In polymers, both solid and liquid, the method makes possible differentiation between isotropic and anisotropic internal motion. In systems with anisotropic internal motion, MAR-NMR makes possible a characterization of motional codes which normally are obscured by residual dipolar interactions, as well as of geometrical restrictions upon these motions.     

Modulation-aided signal enhancement in the magic angle spinning NMR of spin-5/2 nuclei

We report signal enhancement schemes using fast amplitude modulated pulses for the one-dimensional (1D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of spin-5/2 nuclei under magic-angle spinning. Signal enhancement by a factor of around 2.5 is observed when amplitude modulated pulses precede selective excitation of the central transition. This enhancement is a result of the redistribution of energy level populations through partial saturation of the satellite transitions. Results are shown for ²⁷Al and ¹⁷O. The gain in signal intensity is very useful for the observation of weak signals from low abundance quadrupolar nuclei. The scheme works for wide ranges of quadrupole interactions and rf powers.     

Alignment of high resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectra using warping methods

The peaks of magnetic resonance (MR) spectra can be shifted due to variations in physiological and experimental conditions, and correcting for misaligned peaks is an important part of data processing prior to multivariate analysis. In this paper, five warping algorithms (icoshift, COW, fastpa, VPdtw and PTW) are compared for their feasibility in aligning spectral peaks in three sets of high resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) MR spectra with different degrees of misalignments, and their merits are discussed. In addition, extraction of information that might be present in the shifts is examined, both for simulated data and the real MR spectra. The generic evaluation methodology employs a number of frequently used quality criteria for evaluation of the alignments, together with PLS-DA to assess the influence of alignment on the classification outcome.Peak alignment greatly improved the internal similarity of the data sets. Especially icoshift and COW seem suitable for aligning HR-MAS MR spectra, possibly because they perform alignment segment-wise. The choice of reference spectrum can influence the alignment result, and it is advisable to test several references. Information from the peak shifts was extracted, and in one case cancer samples were successfully discriminated from normal tissue based on shift information only. Based on these findings, general recommendations for alignment of HR-MAS MRS data are presented. Where possible, observations are generalized to other data types (e.g. chromatographic data).     

13C cross‐polarization magic angle spinning NMR of ferrocene derivatives

The 13C chemical shifts of the CP/MAS NMR for ferrocene derivatives have been measured. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.