A high-field solid-state 35/37Cl NMR and quantum chemical investigation of the chlorine quadrupolar and chemical shift tensors in amino acid hydrochlorides

A series of six L-amino acid hydrochloride salts has been studied by 35/37Cl solid-state NMR spectroscopy (at 11.75 and 21.1 T) and complementary quantum chemical calculations. Analyses of NMR spectra acquired under static and magic-angle-spinning conditions for the six hydrochloride salts, those of aspartic acid, alanine, cysteine, histidine, methionine and threonine, allowed the extraction of information regarding the chlorine electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift tensors, including their relative orientation. Both tensors are found to be highly dependent on the local environment, with chlorine-35 quadrupolar coupling constants (CQ) ranging from -7.1 to 4.41 MHz and chemical shift tensor spans ranging from 60 to 100 ppm; the value of CQ for aspartic acid hydrochloride is the largest in magnitude observed to date for an organic hydrochloride salt. Quantum chemical calculations performed on cluster models of the chloride ion environment demonstrated agreement between experiment and theory, reproducing CQ to within 18%. In addition, the accuracy of the calculated values of the NMR parameters as a function of the quality of the input structure was explored. Selected X-ray structures were determined (L-Asp HCl; L-Thr HCl) or re-determined (L-Cys HCl.H2O) to demonstrate the benefits of having accurate crystal structures for calculations. The self-consistent charge field perturbation model was also employed and was found to improve the accuracy of calculated quadrupolar coupling constants, demonstrating the impact of the neighbouring ions on the EFG tensor of the central chloride ion. Taken together, the present work contributes to an improved understanding of the factors influencing 35/37Cl NMR interaction tensors in organic hydrochlorides.     

Application of solid-state 35Cl NMR to the structural characterization of hydrochloride pharmaceuticals and their polymorphs

Solid-state (35)Cl NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy is shown to be a useful probe of structure and polymorphism in HCl pharmaceuticals, which constitute ca. 50% of known pharmaceutical salts. Chlorine NMR spectra, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction data, and complementary ab initio calculations are presented for a series of HCl local anesthetic (LA) pharmaceuticals and some of their polymorphs. (35)Cl MAS SSNMR spectra acquired at 21.1 T and spectra of stationary samples at 9.4 and 21.1 T allow for extraction of chlorine electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) parameters. The sensitivity of the (35)Cl EFG and CS tensors to subtle changes in the chlorine environments is reflected in the (35)Cl SSNMR powder patterns. The (35)Cl SSNMR spectra are shown to serve as a rapid fingerprint for identifying and distinguishing polymorphs, as well as a useful tool for structural interpretation. First principles calculations of (35)Cl EFG and CS tensor parameters are in good agreement with the experimental values. The sensitivity of the chlorine NMR interaction tensor parameters to the chlorine chemical environment and the potential for modeling these sites with ab initio calculations hold much promise for application to polymorph screening for a wide variety of HCl pharmaceuticals.     

A solid-state 17O NMR study of L -phenylalanine and L -valine hydrochlorides

We have presented an experimental investigation of the oxygen-17 chemical shielding (CS) and electric-field-gradient (EFG) tensors for alpha-COOH groups in polycrystalline amino acid hydrochlorides. The 17O CS and EFG tensors including the relative orientations between the two NMR tensors are determined in [17O]-L-phenylalanine hydrochloride and [17O]-L-valine hydrochloride by the analysis of the 17O magic-angle-spinning (MAS) and stationary NMR spectra obtained at 9.4, 11.7, 16.4, and 21.8 T. The quadrupole coupling constants (CQ) and the span of the CS tensors are found to be 8.41-8.55 MHz and 7.35-7.41MHz, and 548-570 ppm and 225-231 ppm, for carbonyl and hydroxyl oxygen atoms, respectively. Extensive quantum chemical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) have been also carried out for a hydrogen-bonding model. It is demonstrated that the behavior of the dependence of hydrogen-bond distances on 17O NMR tensors for the halogen ions is different from those for the water molecule.     

Alkaline earth chloride hydrates: chlorine quadrupolar and chemical shift tensors by solid-state NMR spectroscopy and plane wave pseudopotential calculations

A series of alkaline earth chloride hydrates has been studied by solid-state (35/37)Cl NMR spectroscopy in order to characterize the chlorine electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensors and to relate these observables to the structure around the chloride ions. Chlorine-35/37 NMR spectra of solid powdered samples of pseudopolymorphs (hydrates) of magnesium chloride (MgCl(2).6H(2)O), calcium chloride (CaCl(2).2H(2)O), strontium chloride (SrCl(2), SrCl(2).2H(2)O, and SrCl(2).6H(2)O), and barium chloride (BaCl(2).2H(2)O) have been acquired under stationary and magic-angle spinning conditions in magnetic fields of 11.75 and 21.1 T. Powder X-ray diffraction was used as an additional tool to confirm the purity and identity of the samples. Chlorine-35 quadrupolar coupling constants (C(Q)) range from essentially zero in cubic anhydrous SrCl(2) to 4.26+/-0.03 MHz in calcium chloride dihydrate. CS tensor spans, Omega, are between 40 and 72 ppm, for example, Omega= 45+/-20 ppm for SrCl(2).6H(2)O. Plane wave-pseudopotential density functional theory, as implemented in the CASTEP program, was employed to model the extended solid lattices of these materials for the calculation of their chlorine EFG and nuclear magnetic shielding tensors, and allowed for the assignment of the two-site chlorine NMR spectra of barium chloride dihydrate. This work builds upon our current understanding of the relationship between chlorine NMR interaction tensors and the local molecular and electronic structure, and highlights the particular sensitivity of quadrupolar nucleus solid-state NMR spectroscopy to the differences between various pseudopolymorphic structures in the case of strontium chloride.     

A Study of Transition‐Metal Organometallic Complexes Combining 35Cl Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy and 35Cl NQR Spectroscopy and First‐Principles DFT Calculations

A series of transition‐metal organometallic complexes with commonly occurring metal? chlorine bonding motifs were characterized using ³⁵Cl solid‐state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy, ³⁵Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy, and first‐principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations of NMR interaction tensors. Static ³⁵Cl ultra‐wideline NMR spectra were acquired in a piecewise manner at standard (9.4 T) and high (21.1 T) magnetic field strengths using the WURST‐QCPMG pulse sequence. The ³⁵Cl electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shielding (CS) tensor parameters were readily extracted from analytical simulations of the spectra; in particular, the quadrupolar parameters are shown to be very sensitive to structural differences, and can easily differentiate between chlorine atoms in bridging and terminal bonding environments. ³⁵Cl NQR spectra were acquired for many of the complexes, which aided in resolving structurally similar, yet crystallographically distinct and magnetically inequivalent chlorine sites, and with the interpretation and assignment of ³⁵Cl SSNMR spectra. ³⁵Cl EFG tensors obtained from first‐principles DFT calculations are consistently in good agreement with experiment, highlighting the importance of using a combined approach of theoretical and experimental methods for structural characterization. Finally, a preliminary example of a ³⁵Cl SSNMR spectrum of a transition‐metal species (TiCl₄) diluted and supported on non‐porous silica is presented. The combination of ³⁵Cl SSNMR and ³⁵Cl NQR spectroscopy and DFT calculations is shown to be a promising and simple methodology for the characterization of all manner of chlorine‐containing transition‐metal complexes, in pure, impure bulk and supported forms.     

Solid-state 35/37Cl NMR spectroscopy of hydrochloride salts of amino acids implicated in chloride ion transport channel selectivity: opportunities at 900 MHz

The results of a detailed systematic chlorine solid-state NMR study of several hydrochloride salts of amino acids implicated in chloride ion transport channel selectivity are reported. (35)Cl and (37)Cl NMR spectra have been obtained for stationary and/or magic-angle spinning powdered samples of the following compounds on 500 and/or 900 MHz spectrometers: DL-arginine HCl monohydrate, L-lysine HCl, L-serine HCl, L-glutamic acid HCl, L-proline HCl, L-isoleucine HCl, L-valine HCl, L-phenylalanine HCl, and glycine HCl. Spectral analyses provide information on the anisotropic properties and relative orientations of the chlorine electric field gradient and chemical shift (CS) tensors, which are intimately related to the local molecular and electronic structure. Data obtained at 900 MHz provide unique examples of the effects of CS anisotropy on the NMR spectrum of a quadrupolar nucleus. The range of chlorine quadrupolar coupling constants (C(Q)) measured, -6.42 to 2.03 MHz, demonstrates the sensitivity of this parameter to the chloride ion environment and suggests the applicability of chlorine solid-state NMR as a novel experimental tool for defining chloride binding environments in larger ion channel systems. Salts of hydrophobic amino acids are observed to tend to exhibit larger values of C(Q) than salts of hydrophilic amino acids. A simple model for rationalizing the observed trend in C(Q) is proposed. For salts for which neutron diffraction structures are available, we identify a quantum chemical method which reproduces experimental values of C(Q) with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.1 MHz and a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. On the basis of this, chlorine NMR tensors are predicted for the Cl(-) binding site in ClC channels.     

Calcium-43 chemical shift tensors as probes of calcium binding environments. Insight into the structure of the vaterite CaCO3 polymorph by 43Ca solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Natural-abundance (43)Ca solid-state NMR spectroscopy at 21.1 T and gauge-including projector-augmented-wave (GIPAW) DFT calculations are developed as tools to provide insight into calcium binding environments, with special emphasis on the calcium chemical shift (CS) tensor. The first complete analysis of a (43)Ca solid-state NMR spectrum, including the relative orientation of the CS and electric field gradient (EFG) tensors, is reported for calcite. GIPAW calculations of the (43)Ca CS and EFG tensors for a series of small molecules are shown to reproduce experimental trends; for example, the trend in available solid-state chemical shifts is reproduced with a correlation coefficient of 0.983. The results strongly suggest the utility of the calcium CS tensor as a novel probe of calcium binding environments in a range of calcium-containing materials. For example, for three polymorphs of CaCO3 the CS tensor span ranges from 8 to 70 ppm and the symmetry around calcium is manifested differently in the CS tensor as compared with the EFG tensor. The advantages of characterizing the CS tensor are particularly evident in very high magnetic fields where the effect of calcium CS anisotropy is augmented in hertz while the effect of second-order quadrupolar broadening is often obscured for (43)Ca because of its small quadrupole moment. Finally, as an application of the combined experimental-theoretical approach, the solid-state structure of the vaterite polymorph of calcium carbonate is probed and we conclude that the hexagonal P6(3)/mmc space group provides a better representation of the structure than does the orthorhombic Pbnm space group, thereby demonstrating the utility of (43)Ca solid-state NMR as a complementary tool to X-ray crystallographic methods.     

Combined first-principles computational and experimental multinuclear solid-state NMR investigation of amino acids

13C, 14N, 15N, 17O, and 35Cl NMR parameters, including chemical shift tensors and quadrupolar tensors for 14N, 17O, and 35Cl, are calculated for the crystalline forms of various amino acids under periodic boundary conditions and complemented by experiment where necessary. The 13C shift tensors and 14N electric field gradient (EFG) tensors are in excellent agreement with experiment. Similarly, static 17O NMR spectra could be precisely simulated using the calculation of the full chemical shift (CS) tensors and their relative orientation with the EFG tensors. This study allows correlations to be found between hydrogen bonding in the crystal structures and the 17O NMR shielding parameters and the 35Cl quadrupolar parameters, respectively. Calculations using the two experimental structures for L-alanine have shown that, while the calculated isotropic chemical shift values of 13C and 15N are relatively insensitive to small differences in the experimental structure, the 17O shift is markedly affected.     

Solid-state 23Na NMR study of sodium lariat ether receptors exhibiting cation-pi interactions

Noncovalent cation-pi interactions are important in a variety of supramolecular and biochemical systems. We present a 23Na solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) study of two sodium lariat ether complexes, 1 and 2, in which a sodium cation interacts with an indolyl group that models the side chain of tryptophan. Sodium-23 SSNMR spectra of magic-angle spinning (MAS) and stationary powdered samples have been acquired at three magnetic field strengths (9.4, 11.75, 21.1 T) and analyzed to provide key information on the sodium electric field gradient and chemical shift (CS) tensors which are representative of the cation-pi binding environment. Triple-quantum MAS NMR spectra acquired at 21.1 T clearly reveal two crystallographically distinct sites in both 1 and 2. The quadrupolar coupling constants, CQ(23Na), range from 2.92 +/- 0.05 MHz for site A of 1 to 3.33 +/- 0.05 MHz for site B of 2; these values are somewhat larger than those reported previously by Wong et al. (Wong, A.; Whitehead, R. D.; Gan, Z.; Wu, G. J. Phys. Chem. A 2004, 108, 10551) for NaBPh4, but very similar to the values obtained for sodium metallocenes by Willans and Schurko (Willans, M. J.; Schurko, R. W. J. Phys. Chem. B 2003, 107, 5144). We conclude from the 21.1 T data that the spans of the sodium CS tensors are less than 20 ppm for 1 and 2 and that the largest components of the EFG and CS tensors are non-coincident. Quantum chemical calculations of the NMR parameters substantiate the experimental findings and provide additional insight into the dependence of CQ(23Na) on the proximity of the indole ring to Na+. Taken together, this work has provided novel information on the NMR interaction tensors characteristic of a sodium cation interacting with a biologically important arene.     

K-39 quadrupolar and chemical shift tensors for organic potassium complexes and diatomic molecules

Solid-state potassium-39 NMR spectra of two potassium complexes of crown-ether-based organic ligands (1.KI and 2) have been acquired at 11.75 and 21.1 T and interpreted to provide information on the 39K quadrupolar and chemical shift tensors. The analyses reveal a large potassium chemical shift tensor span of 75+/-20 ppm for 1.KI. This appears to be the first such measurement for potassium in an organic complex, thereby suggesting the utility of potassium chemical shift tensors for characterizing organic and biomolecular K+ binding environments. Compound 2 exhibits a cation-pi interaction between K+ and a phenyl group, and therefore, the 39K NMR tensors obtained for this compound must be partly representative of this interaction. Analyses of potassium-39 spin-rotation data for gaseous 39K19F and 39K35Cl available from molecular beam experiments performed by Cederberg and co-workers reveal the largest potassium CS tensor spans known to date, 84.39 and 141 ppm, respectively. Collectively, the results obtained highlight the potential of ultrahigh-field potassium-39 solid-state NMR spectroscopy and, in particular, the wide range of the anisotropy of the potassium CS tensor when organic and diatomic systems are considered.     

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy of the quadrupolar halogens: chlorine-35/37, bromine-79/81, and iodine-127

A thorough review of 35/37Cl, 79/81Br, and 127I solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) data is presented. Isotropic chemical shifts (CS), quadrupolar coupling constants, and other available information on the magnitude and orientation of the CS and electric field gradient (EFG) tensors for chlorine, bromine, and iodine in diverse chemical compounds is tabulated on the basis of over 200 references. Our coverage is through July 2005. Special emphasis is placed on the information available from the study of powdered diamagnetic solids in high magnetic fields. Our survey indicates a recent notable increase in the number of applications of solid-state quadrupolar halogen NMR, particularly 35Cl NMR, as high magnetic fields have become more widely available to solid-state NMR spectroscopists. We conclude with an assessment of possible future directions for research involving 35/37Cl, 79/81Br, and 127I solid-state NMR spectroscopy.     

Solid-state (63)Cu and (65)Cu NMR spectroscopy of inorganic and organometallic copper(I) complexes

Solid-state 63Cu and 65Cu NMR experiments have been conducted on a series of inorganic and organometallic copper(I) complexes possessing a variety of spherically asymmetric two-, three-, and four-coordinate Cu coordination environments. Variations in structure and symmetry, and corresponding changes in the electric field gradient (EFG) tensors, yield 63/65Cu quadrupolar coupling constants (CQ) ranging from 22.0 to 71.0 MHz for spherically asymmetric Cu sites. These large quadrupolar interactions result in spectra featuring quadrupolar-dominated central transition patterns with breadths ranging from 760 kHz to 6.7 MHz. Accordingly, Hahn-echo and/or QCPMG pulse sequences were applied in a frequency-stepped manner to rapidly acquire high S/N powder patterns. Significant copper chemical shielding anisotropies (CSAs) are also observed in some cases, ranging from 1000 to 1500 ppm. 31P CP/MAS NMR spectra for complexes featuring 63/65Cu-31P spin pairs exhibit residual dipolar coupling and are simulated to determine both the sign of CQ and the EFG tensor orientations relative to the Cu-P bond axes. X-ray crystallographic data and theoretical (Hartree-Fock and density functional theory) calculations of 63/65Cu EFG and CS tensors are utilized to examine the relationships between NMR interaction tensor parameters, the magnitudes and orientations of the principal components, and molecular structure and symmetry.     

Solid-state 17O NMR study of the electric-field-gradient and chemical shielding tensors in polycrystalline amino acids

We have presented a systematic experimental investigation of carboxyl oxygen electric-field-gradient (EFG) and chemical shielding (CS) tensors in crystalline amino acids. Three 17O-enriched amino acids were prepared: L-aspartic acid, L-threonine, and L-tyrosine. Analysis of two-dimensional 17O multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning (MQMAS), MAS, and stationary NMR spectra yields the 17O CS, EFG tensors and the relative orientations between the two tensors for the amino acids. The values of quadrupolar coupling constants (CQ) are found to be in the range of 6.70-7.60 MHz. The values of deltaiso lie in the range of 268-292 ppm, while those of the delta11 and delta22 components vary from 428 to 502 ppm, and from 303 to 338 ppm, respectively. There is a significant correlation between the magnitudes of delta22 components and C--O bond lengths. Since C--O bond length may be related to hydrogen-bonding environments, solid-state 17O NMR has significant potential to provide insights into important aspects of hydrogen bonds in biological systems.     

Solid-state 91Zr NMR spectroscopy studies of zirconocene olefin polymerization catalyst precursors

(91)Zr (I = 5/2) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectra of the zirconocene compounds, Cp(2)ZrCl(2), Cp*(2)ZrCl(2) (1), Cp(2)ZrBr(2) (2), (Me(3)SiC(5)H(4))(2)ZrBr(2) (3), O(Me(2)SiC(5)H(4))(2)ZrBr(2) (4), (1,3-C(5)H(3))(SiMe(2)OSiMe(2))(2)(1,3-C(5)H(3))ZrBr(2) (5), Ind(2)ZrCl(2) (6), Cp(2)ZrMeCl (7), Cp(2)ZrMe(2) (8), and [Cp(2)ZrMe][MeB(C(6)F(5))(3)] (9) have been acquired. Static (91)Zr SSNMR spectra have been acquired for all complexes at magnetic fields of 9.4 and 21.1 T. Cp(2)ZrCl(2) and complexes 1 to 5 possess relatively narrow central transition powder patterns which allows for magic-angle spinning (MAS) (91)Zr solid-state NMR spectra to be acquired at a moderate field strength of 9.4 T. Complexes 6 to 9 possess ultrawideline central transition SSNMR spectra necessitating piece-wise acquisition techniques. From the static and MAS (91)Zr SSNMR spectra, it is possible to measure (91)Zr electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensor parameters, as well as the Euler angles which describe their relative orientation. Basis sets and methods for the accurate quantum chemical calculation of (91)Zr EFG and CS tensors have been identified. The origin of the observed EFG and CS tensor parameters are further investigated by visualization of the EFG and CS tensor orientations within the molecular frames. Correlations between the observed and calculated NMR tensor parameters and molecular symmetry and structure are made. All of these observations suggest that (91)Zr SSNMR spectroscopy can be utilized to probe the molecular structure of a variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous olefin polymerization catalysts.     

A combined solid-state NMR and X-ray crystallography study of the bromide ion environments in triphenylphosphonium bromides

Multinuclear ((31)P and (79/81)Br), multifield (9.4, 11.75, and 21.1 T) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments are performed for seven phosphonium bromides bearing the triphenylphosphonium cation, a molecular scaffold found in many applications in chemistry. This is undertaken to fully characterise their bromine electric field gradient (EFG) tensors, as well as the chemical shift (CS) tensors of both the halogen and the phosphorus nuclei, providing a rare and novel insight into the local electronic environments surrounding them. New crystal structures, obtained from single-crystal X-ray diffraction, are reported for six compounds to aid in the interpretation of the NMR data. Among them is a new structure of BrPPh(4), because the previously reported one was inconsistent with our magnetic resonance data, thereby demonstrating how NMR data of non-standard nuclei can correct or improve X-ray diffraction data. Our results indicate that, despite sizable quadrupolar interactions, (79/81)Br magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful characterisation tool that allows for the differentiation between chemically similar bromine sites, as shown through the range in the characteristic NMR parameters. (35/37)Cl solid-state NMR data, obtained for an analogous phosphonium chloride sample, provide insight into the relationship between unit cell volume, nuclear quadrupolar coupling constants, and Sternheimer antishielding factors. The experimental findings are complemented by gauge-including projector-augmented wave (GIPAW) DFT calculations, which substantiate our experimentally determined strong dependence of the largest component of the bromine CS tensor, δ(11), on the shortest Br-P distance in the crystal structure, a finding that has possible application in the field of NMR crystallography. This trend is explained in terms of Ramsey's theory on paramagnetic shielding. Overall, this work demonstrates how careful NMR studies of underexploited exotic nuclides, such as (79/81)Br, can afford insights into structure and bonding environments in the solid state.     

Experimental and theoretical studies of 45Sc NMR interactions in solids

Solid-state 45Sc NMR spectroscopy, ab initio calculations, and X-ray crystallography are applied to examine the relationships between 45Sc NMR interactions and molecular structure and symmetry. Solid-state 45Sc (I = 7/2) magic-angle spinning (MAS) and static NMR spectra of powdered samples of Sc(acac)3, Sc(TMHD)3, Sc(NO3)3.5H2O, Sc(OAc)3, ScCl3.6H2O, ScCl3.3THF, and ScCp3 have been acquired. These systems provide a variety of scandium coordination environments yielding an array of distinct 45Sc chemical shielding (CS) and electric field gradient (EFG) tensor parameters. Acquisition of spectra at two distinct magnetic fields allows for the first observations of scandium chemical shielding anisotropy (CSA). 45Sc quadrupolar coupling constants (CQ) range from 3.9 to 13.1 MHz and correlate directly with the symmetry of the scandium coordination environment. Single-crystal X-ray structures were determined for Sc(TMHD)3, ScCl3.6H2O, and Sc(NO3)3.5H2O to establish the hitherto unknown scandium coordination environments. A comprehensive series of ab initio calculations of EFG and CS tensor parameters are in excellent agreement with the observed parameters. Theoretically determined orientations of the NMR interaction tensors allow for correlations between NMR tensor characteristics and scandium environments. Solid-state 45Sc, 13C, and 19F NMR experiments are also applied to characterize the structures of the microcrystalline Lewis acid catalyst Sc(OTf)3 (for which the crystal structure is unknown) and a noncrystalline, microencapsulated, polystyrene-supported form of the compound.     

Density Functional Theory Calculations of 95Mo NMR Parameters in Solid‐State Compounds

The application of periodic density functional theory‐based methods to the calculation of ⁹⁵Mo electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensors in solid‐state molybdenum compounds is presented. Calculations of EFG tensors are performed using the projector augmented‐wave (PAW) method. Comparison of the results with those obtained using the augmented plane wave + local orbitals (APW+lo) method and with available experimental values shows the reliability of the approach for ⁹⁵Mo EFG tensor calculation. CS tensors are calculated using the recently developed gauge‐including projector augmented‐wave (GIPAW) method. This work is the first application of the GIPAW method to a 4d transition‐metal nucleus. The effects of ultra‐soft pseudo‐potential parameters, exchange‐correlation functionals and structural parameters are precisely examined. Comparison with experimental results allows the validation of this computational formalism.     

Experimental and computational characterization of the 17O quadrupole coupling and magnetic shielding tensors for p-nitrobenzaldehyde and formaldehyde

We have used solid-state 17O NMR experiments to determine the 17O quadrupole coupling (QC) tensor and chemical shift (CS) tensor for the carbonyl oxygen in p-nitro-[1-(17)O]benzaldehyde. Analyses of solid-state 17O NMR spectra obtained at 11.75 and 21.15 T under both magic-angle spinning (MAS) and stationary conditions yield the magnitude and relative orientation of these two tensors: CQ = 10.7 +/- 0.2 MHz, etaQ = 0.45 +/- 0.10, delta11 = 1050 +/- 10, delta22 = 620 +/- 10, delta33 = -35 +/- 10, alpha = 90 +/- 10, beta = 90 +/- 2, gamma = 90 +/- 10 degrees. The principal component of the 17O CS tensor with the most shielding, delta33, is perpendicular to the H-C=O plane, and the tensor component with the least shielding, delta11, lies along the C=O bond. For the 17O QC tensor, the largest (chi(zz)) and smallest (chi(xx)) components are both in the H-C=O plane being perpendicular and parallel to the C=O bond, respectively. This study represents the first time that these two fundamental 17O NMR tensors have been simultaneously determined for the carbonyl oxygen of an aldehyde functional group by solid-state 17O NMR. The reported experimental solid-state 17O NMR results provide the first set of reliable data to allow evaluation of the effect of electron correlation on individual CS tensor components. We found that the electron correlation effect exhibits significant influence on 17O chemical shielding in directions within the H-C=O plane. We have also carefully re-examined the existing experimental data on the 17O spin-rotation tensor for formaldehyde and proposed a new set of best "experimental" 17O chemical shielding tensor components: sigma11 = -1139 +/- 80, sigma22 = -533 +/- 80, sigma33 = 431 +/- 5, and sigma(iso) = -414 +/- 60 ppm. Using this new set of data, we have evaluated the accuracy of quantum chemical calculations of the 17O CS tensors for formaldehyde at the Hartree-Fock (HF), density-functional theory (DFT), M?ller-Plesset second-order perturbation (MP2), and coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) levels of theory. The conclusion is that, while results from HF and DFT tend to underestimate the electron correlation effect, the MP2 method overestimates its contribution. The CCSD results are in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Solid-state 139La and 15N NMR spectroscopy of lanthanum-containing metallocenes

A preliminary set of solid-state 139La and 15N NMR data for lanthanum-containing metallocenes is presented, including (C5H5)3La, (C5Me4H)3La, [(C5Me5)2La]+[BPh4]-, and 15N-enriched [(C5Me4H)2La(THF)]215N2. Broad 139La NMR spectra, with breadths ranging from 600 kHz to 2.5 MHz, were acquired with piecewise QCPMG techniques at 9.4 T. Simulations of the spectra reveal 139La quadrupolar coupling constants (CQ) between 44 and 105 MHz. In addition, the first NMR measurement of a nitrogen chemical shift (CS) tensor for dinitrogen bound side-on to a metal atom is reported for [(C5Me4H)2La(THF)]215N2. The 139La NMR parameters show remarkable sensitivity to changes in metallocene structure and can be interpreted in an intuitive manner. Preliminary RHF and DFT calculations of 139La electric field gradient (EFG) and nitrogen CS tensors are used to provide tensor orientations and to rationalize the origin of the NMR parameters in terms of molecular structure and symmetry. The sensitivity of 139La and 15N NMR tensor parameters to changes in structure and bonding should prove invaluable in future studies of noncrystalline and disordered systems.     

A Combined Solid‐State NMR and X‐ray Crystallography Study of the Bromide Ion Environments in Triphenylphosphonium Bromides

Multinuclear (³¹P and ^79/81Br), multifield (9.4, 11.75, and 21.1 T) solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments are performed for seven phosphonium bromides bearing the triphenylphosphonium cation, a molecular scaffold found in many applications in chemistry. This is undertaken to fully characterise their bromine electric field gradient (EFG) tensors, as well as the chemical shift (CS) tensors of both the halogen and the phosphorus nuclei, providing a rare and novel insight into the local electronic environments surrounding them. New crystal structures, obtained from single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, are reported for six compounds to aid in the interpretation of the NMR data. Among them is a new structure of BrPPh₄, because the previously reported one was inconsistent with our magnetic resonance data, thereby demonstrating how NMR data of non‐standard nuclei can correct or improve X‐ray diffraction data. Our results indicate that, despite sizable quadrupolar interactions, ^79/81Br magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful characterisation tool that allows for the differentiation between chemically similar bromine sites, as shown through the range in the characteristic NMR parameters. ^35/37Cl solid‐state NMR data, obtained for an analogous phosphonium chloride sample, provide insight into the relationship between unit cell volume, nuclear quadrupolar coupling constants, and Sternheimer antishielding factors. The experimental findings are complemented by gauge‐including projector‐augmented wave (GIPAW) DFT calculations, which substantiate our experimentally determined strong dependence of the largest component of the bromine CS tensor, δ₁₁, on the shortest Br? P distance in the crystal structure, a finding that has possible application in the field of NMR crystallography. This trend is explained in terms of Ramsey’s theory on paramagnetic shielding. Overall, this work demonstrates how careful NMR studies of underexploited exotic nuclides, such as ^79/81Br, can afford insights into structure and bonding environments in the solid state.