Insight into the structure of silver cyanide from (13)C and (15)N solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The structure of silver cyanide has been investigated by solid-state multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 NMR spectra of magic-angle-spinning (MAS) and stationary powder samples of isotopically enriched Ag(13)CN, Ag(13)C(15)N, and AgC(15)N have been acquired at the external applied magnetic field strengths 4.7, 7.05, and 9.4 T. Axially symmetric carbon and nitrogen chemical shift (CS) tensors provide evidence for linearity of the polymeric (-Ag-CN-)(n)() chains. A two-site model is required to successfully simulate the (13)C MAS NMR line shape, which is dominated by indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling between (109/107)Ag and (13)C nuclei. In combination with relativistic zeroth-order regular approximation density functional theory (ZORA-DFT) calculations on model AgCN fragments, the (13)C MAS NMR results show that 30 +/- 10% of the silver sites are disordered, that is, either -NC-Ag-CN- or -CN-Ag-NC-, and 70 +/- 10% of the silver sites are ordered, that is, -NC-Ag-NC-. Effective dipolar coupling data extracted from (13)C NMR spectra of stationary samples allow an upper limit of 1.194 A to be placed on the carbon-nitrogen internuclear distance. After incorporation of the effects of anisotropic indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling and motional averaging on the NMR-derived distance, a corrected value of r(CN) = 1.16 +/- 0.03 A is obtained. This work provides an example of the type of information which may be obtained from solid-state NMR studies of disordered materials and how such information may complement that available from diffraction studies.     

Controlling the density of amine sites on silica surfaces using benzyl spacers

The synthesis and characterization of benzyl-spaced aminopropyl-functionalized mesoporous silica is reported by a method designed to reduce silanol-amine and amine-amine interactions. The new material is characterized by N(2) physisorption, thermogravimetric analysis, potentiometric titration, X-ray diffraction, FT-Raman spectroscopy, and (13)C and (29)Si solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The degree of clustering of the amines is studied by solid-state fluorescence spectroscopy of 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid bound to the deprotected benzyl-spaced aminosilica. The results obtained provide evidence of an amine loading comparable to traditional dense amine grafting approaches on SBA-15. Thermogravimetric analysis, FT-Raman spectroscopy, and (13)C solid-state NMR spectroscopy results show evidence that the protected imine can be quantitatively cleaved to yield the corresponding amine. As evidenced by fluorescence spectroscopy, the benzyl-spaced material is isolated enough to prevent excimer formation of the probe molecule, unlike aminopropyl-functionalized silica materials prepared by traditional grafting approaches.     

(15)N and (13)C high-resolution solid-state NMR study of the polymorphism of the L-enantiomer of N-benzoylphenylalanine

In this paper, several approaches which allow the investigation of mixtures of polymorphs, employing modern solid-state NMR (SS NMR) spectroscopy are reported. A convenient methodology for characterization of the hydrogen bonding and molecular conformation of a polymorphic sample by means of one-dimensional and two-dimensional, 13C and 15N NMR experiments as well as CSA tensor analysis and theoretical calculations is presented. Two-dimensional heteronuclear SS NMR allowed definition of the polymorphic domain of N-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (N-Bz-Phe). The graphical method of Herzfeld and Berger was used to measure the 13C and 15N spinning sideband intensities which allowed the calculation of NMR parameters for labeled centers of N-Bz-Phe. The experimental data were compared with computed results obtained by means of the DFT hybrid method with B3PW91 functional and 6-311++G** basis set.     

Determination of the glycosidic bond angle chi in RNA from cross-correlated relaxation of CH dipolar coupling and N chemical shift anisotropy

A new heteronuclear NMR pulse sequence, the quantitative Gamma(HCN) experiment, for the determination of the glycosidic torsion angle chi in (13)C,(15)N-labeled oligonucleotides is described. The Gamma(HCN) experiment allows measurement of CH dipole-dipole, N chemical shift anisotropy cross-correlated relaxation rates (Gamma(C1'H1',N1)(DD,CSA) and Gamma(C2'H2',N9)(DD,CSA) for pyrimidines Gamma(C1'H1'N9)(DD,CSA) and Gamma(C2'H2',N9)(DD,CSA) for purines). A nucleotide-specific parametrization for the dependence of these Gamma-rates on chi based on (15)N chemical shift tensors determined by solid-state NMR experiments on mononucleosides (Stueber, D.; Grant, D. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 10539-10551) is presented. For a 14-mer and a 30-mer RNA of known structures, it is found that the Gamma(HCN) experiment offers a very sensitive parameter for changes in the angle chi and allows restraining of chi with an accuracy of around 10 degrees for residues which do not undergo conformational averaging. Therefore, the Gamma(HCN) experiment can be used for the determination of chi in addition to data derived from (3)J(C,H)-coupling constants. As shown for the 30-mer RNA, the derived torsion angle information can be incorporated as additional restraint, improving RNA structure calculations.     

Characterization of stereochemistry and molecular conformation using solid-state NMR tensors

A solid-state NMR technique is described for establishing stereochemistry using the natural product terrein as a model compound. This method involves comparison of experimental (13)C tensor principal values with ab initio computed values for all possible computer-generated stereoisomers. In terrein the relative stereochemistry is confirmed by NMR to be 2R*,3S with high statistical probability (>99.5%). The proposed approach also simultaneously verifies the molecular conformation of the two hydroxy groups in terrein established by X-ray data. It is sufficient to use only shift tensor values at carbons 2 and 3, the stereocenters, to characterize both the stereochemistry and molecular conformations. The solid-state NMR method appears to be especially useful for determining relative stereochemistry of compounds or their derivatives that are difficult to crystallize.     

NMR studies of the tautomerism of cyclo-tris(4-R-2,6-pyridylformamidine) in solution and in the solid state

Two novel cyclo-tris(4-R-2,6-pyridylformamidine)s (R = H, CH(3)) have been studied by solution- and solid-state NMR. Both compounds show fast exchange of NH protons in dimethyl sulfoxide at room temperature. The E-syn configuration of the formamidine group with the NH protons in the outer ring position could be proved by low-temperature (1)H NMR experiments. The influence of deuteration of the NH group on the exchange rate has been demonstrated qualitatively. Proton exchange at the formamidine groups results in both a symmetric (S) and an asymmetric (A) isomer which could be spectroscopically identified and characterized at 193 K. Whereas two degenerate forms exist for S, six degenerate A forms can be distinguished. Prototropic tautomerism at one formamidine group results in exchange from S into A, whereas A is transformed to a degenerate A form or to S. It could be shown that some transitions between substructures are impossible by a single -NH-CH=N-/-N=CH-NH- exchange. The S isomer with three equivalent formamidine groups is the preferred isomer in solution as indicated by the S/A ratio at 193 K. From this result we conclude that in polyformamidines, ordered sequences of formamidine tautomers are also formed at low temperatures. Prototropic exchange was not observed in the solid state, neither by (13)C nor by (15)N solid-state NMR. For one trimer (R = CH(3)), three molecules dimethyl sulfoxide per trimer molecule are within the lattice as could be proved by (13)C CPMAS NMR.     

Characterization of microbial poly (ε-l-lysine) by FT-IR, Raman and solid state C NMR spectroscopies

The molecular structure and conformation of microbial poly(ε-l-lysine) (M-ε-PL) produced by a variant of Streptomyces albulus were studied by means of FT-IR, FT-Raman and solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. Vibrational results indicate that M-ε-PL assumes a β-sheet conformation in the solid state. Solid state ¹³C NMR spectra of the crystalline and the amorphous components were observed separately and the degree of crystallinity was estimated to be 63%. A plausible conformation model was proposed.     

The structure of poly(carbonsuboxide) on the atomic scale: a solid-state NMR study

In this contribution we present a study of the structure of amorphous poly(carbonsuboxide) (C3O2)x by 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy supported by infrared spectroscopy and chemical analysis. Poly(carbonsuboxide) was obtained by polymerization of carbonsuboxide C3O2, which in turn was synthesized from malonic acid bis(trimethylsilylester). Two different 13C labeling schemes were applied to probe inter- and intramonomeric bonds in the polymer by dipolar solid-state NMR methods and also to allow quantitative 13C MAS NMR spectra. Four types of carbon environments can be distinguished in the NMR spectra. Double-quantum and triple-quantum 2D correlation experiments were used to assign the observed peaks using the through-space and through-bond dipolar coupling. In order to obtain distance constraints for the intermonomeric bonds, double-quantum constant-time experiments were performed. In these experiments an additional filter step was applied to suppress contributions from not directly bonded 13C,13C spin pairs. The 13C NMR intensities, chemical shifts, connectivities and distances gave constraints for both the polymerization mechanism and the short-range order of the polymer. The experimental results were complemented by bond lengths predicted by density functional theory methods for several previously suggested models. Based on the presented evidence we can unambiguously exclude models based on gamma-pyronic units and support models based on alpha-pyronic units. The possibility of planar ladder- and bracelet-like alpha-pyronic structures is discussed.     

Quaternary suppression via difference spectroscopy for 13C CP/MAR of organic solids: Application to a phenylazonaphthol

A pulse sequence for obtaining solid-state NMR spectra of proton-bearing ¹³C nuclei only, based on a difference method, is proposed. As an example, spectra of the dyestuff CI Pigment Red 57:1 [monohydrated calcium salt of 1-(2-sulpho-4-methylphenylazo)-2-hydroxnaphthyalene 3-carboxylic acid] are illustrated. The difference method reveals a peak which is otherwise severely overlapped by others. Its presence is confirmed by higher field spectra. The results show that the dyestuff is present as the keto-hydrazo tautomer.     

Characterization of protein-ligand interactions by high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy

A novel approach for detection of ligand binding to a protein in solid samples is described. Hydrated precipitates of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL show well-resolved (13)C-(13)C 2D solid-state NMR spectra that allow site-specific assignment of resonances for many residues in uniformly (13)C-enriched samples. Binding of a small peptide or drug-like organic molecule leads to changes in the chemical shift of resonances from multiple residues in the protein that can be monitored to characterize binding. Differential chemical shifts can be used to distinguish between direct protein-ligand contacts and small conformational changes of the protein induced by ligand binding. The agreement with prior solution-state NMR results indicates that the binding pocket in solid and liquid samples is similar for this protein. Advantages of different labeling schemes involving selective (13)C enrichment of methyl groups of Ala, Val, Leu, and Ile (Cdelta1) for characterizing protein-ligand interactions are also discussed. It is demonstrated that high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy on uniformly or extensively (13)C-enriched samples has the potential to screen proteins of moderate size ( approximately 20 kDa) for ligand binding as hydrated solids. The results presented here suggest the possibility of using solid-state NMR to study ligand binding in proteins not amenable to solution NMR.     

CP/MAS ~(13)C NMR技术对木浆纤维微观结构的研究

利用交叉极化结合魔角旋转技术~(13)C核磁共振法(CP/MAS ~(13)C NMR)对桉木浆纤维的微观结构进行研究,为进一步研究木质纤维素材料开发过程中反应障碍特征奠定基础.通过对NMR光谱C1区(δ 102～108)进行洛仑兹拟合,得到桉木浆纤维中纤维素Iα的相对含量为26.92%,纤维素Iβ的相对含量为52.04%,主要以纤维素Iβ晶体形式为主.通过计算纤维素C4结晶区(δ 86～92)和非结晶区(δ 80～86)的相对含量得到桉木浆的纤维素结晶度为47%.通过洛仑兹和高斯函数的混合模型对NMR光谱C4区(δ 80～92)进行拟合得到基原纤尺寸和微原纤横向尺寸分别为4.0与17.9 nm,并通过计算不同形态的结晶纤维素的相对含量得到纤维素结晶度为51%,证实了在微原纤内部次晶纤维素的存在.     

Photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization in photosystem I of plants observed by 13C magic-angle spinning NMR

Photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) has been observed in photosystem I of spinach by (13)C magic angle spinning solid-state NMR under continuous illumination with white light. An almost complete set of chemical shifts of the aromatic ring carbons of a single Chl a molecule has been obtained which is assigned to the P2-cofactor of the primary electron donor P700. Since all light-induced (13)C NMR signals appear to be emissive, a predominance of the three-spin mixing mechanism over the differential decay mechanism is proposed. The origin of the strong contribution of the three-spin mixing mechanism and the differences with photosystem II are discussed.     

In situ monitoring of solid-state polymerization reactions in sodium chloroacetate and sodium bromoacetate by 23Na and 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The thermally induced solidstate polymerization reactions in sodium chloroacetate and sodium bromoacetate, leading to poly(hydroxyacetic acid) (polyglycolide) and NaCl and NaBr, respectively, were studied by isothermal in situ solid-state NMR spectroscopy at 120, 130 and 140 degrees C with a time resolution of the order of 5 to 25 min. The nuclei probed were 23Na and 13C, allowing the parent compounds (sodium halogenoacetates) and both reaction products (polymer and alkali halide) to be monitored. For sodium chloroacetate, there is no evidence for the involvement of intermediate phases during the reaction whereas this cannot be excluded for sodium bromoacetate. The crystal structure of sodium bromoacetate was determined directly from powder diffraction data by the Monte Carlo method, and was found to be isostructural with sodium chloroacetate. The topochemical reaction mechanism proposed previously for sodium chloroacetate is thus also applicable for the polymerization reaction in sodium bromoacetate. The mechanistic and kinetic information obtained from our in situ solid-state NMR investigations is compared and contrasted with information obtained from other in situ probes of the polymerization reactions in these materials.     

Structure determination of a membrane protein in proteoliposomes

An NMR method for determining the three-dimensional structures of membrane proteins in proteoliposomes is demonstrated by determining the structure of MerFt, the 60-residue helix-loop-helix integral membrane core of the 81-residue mercury transporter MerF. The method merges elements of oriented sample (OS) solid-state NMR and magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR techniques to measure orientation restraints relative to a single external axis (the bilayer normal) from individual residues in a uniformly (13)C/(15)N labeled protein in unoriented liquid crystalline phospholipid bilayers. The method relies on the fast (>10(5) Hz) rotational diffusion of membrane proteins in bilayers to average the static chemical shift anisotropy and heteronuclear dipole-dipole coupling powder patterns to axially symmetric powder patterns with reduced frequency spans. The frequency associated with the parallel edge of such motionally averaged powder patterns is exactly the same as that measured from the single line resonance in the spectrum of a stationary sample that is macroscopically aligned parallel to the direction of the applied magnetic field. All data are collected on unoriented samples undergoing MAS. Averaging of the homonuclear (13)C/(13)C dipolar couplings, by MAS of the sample, enables the use of uniformly (13)C/(15)N labeled proteins, which provides enhanced sensitivity through direct (13)C detection as well as the use of multidimensional MAS solid-state NMR methods for resolving and assigning resonances. The unique feature of this method is the measurement of orientation restraints that enable the protein structure and orientation to be determined in unoriented proteoliposomes.     

The stuffed framework structure of SrP2N4: challenges to synthesis and crystal structure determination

SrP2N4 was obtained by high-pressure high-temperature synthesis utilizing the multianvil technique (5 GPa, 1400 degrees C) starting from mixtures of phosphorus(V) nitride and strontium azide. SrP2N4 turned out to be isotypic with BaGa(2)O(4) and is closely related to KGeAlO(4). The crystal structure (SrP2N4, a=17.1029(8), c=8.10318(5) A, space group P6(3) (no. 173), V=2052.70(2) A3, Z=24, R(F2)=0.0633) was solved from synchrotron powder diffraction data by applying a combination of direct methods, Patterson syntheses, and difference Fourier maps adding the unit cell information derived from electron diffraction and symmetry information obtained from 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The structure of SrP2N4 was refined by the Rietveld method by utilizing both neutron and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and has been corroborated additionally by 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy by employing through-bond connectivities and distance relations.     

Evidence of graphitic AB stacking order of graphite oxides

Graphite oxide (GO) samples were prepared by a simplified Brodie method. Hydroxyl, epoxide, carboxyl, and some alkyl functional groups are present in the GO, as identified by solid-state 13C NMR, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Starting with pyrolytic graphite (interlayer separation 3.36 A), the average interlayer distance after 1 h of reaction, as determined by X-ray diffraction, increased to 5.62 A and then increased with further oxidation to 7.37 A after 24 h. A smaller signal in 13C CPMAS NMR compared to that in 13C NMR suggests that carboxyl and alkyl groups are at the edges of the flakes of graphite oxide. Other aspects of the chemical bonding were assessed from the NMR and XPS data and are discussed. AB stacking of the layers in the GO was inferred from an electron diffraction study. The elemental composition of GO prepared using this simplified Brodie method is further discussed.     

J-deconvolution using maximum entropy reconstruction applied to 13C-13C solid-state cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning NMR of proteins

Scalar couplings between 13C spins can impair both resolution and sensitivity in 13C-labeled preparations. It is demonstrated that deconvolution of magic-angle-spinning NMR data with maximum entropy (MaxEnt) reconstruction allows the removal of splittings due to J-couplings without expenses in sensitivity. A combination of MaxEnt reconstruction in t2 with selective pulses in t1 produces fully J-resolved data in both dimensions. The possibility to obtain J-resolved 13C-13C data without compromising the sensitivity is particularly important for solid-state NMR of "difficult" biological samples, like membrane proteins, where sacrifices in signal-to-noise are fatal. The method is demonstrated using preparations of alpha-spectrin SH3 domain (62 residues) as small test system and of outermembrane protein G as example of a membrane protein with higher molecular weight (281 residues). Both preparations were obtained using [2-13C]-glycerol as the carbon source during the bacterial growth.     

Interatomic distance measurement in solid-state NMR between a spin- 1/2 and a spin- 5/2 using a universal REAPDOR curve

A universal curve for the solid-state NMR REAPDOR experiment on an isolated spin-1/2-spin-5/2 pair is proposed that provides a simple means to measure their interatomic distance. REAPDOR data were obtained at three separate REAPDOR experiments using different values of the rotor spinning frequency. All points were fitted simultaneously to the universal formula without a need for full density matrix calculations. The 13C-17O distance of 2.45 A was measured between the C6 carbon and the 17O label in a tyrosine sample. The error of 8% in the dipolar coupling (Dfit = 278 Hz) is well within the 15% theoretical tolerance of this curve.     

Tailoring 13C labeling for triple-resonance solid-state NMR experiments on aligned samples of proteins

In order to develop triple-resonance solid-state NMR spectroscopy of membrane proteins, we have implemented several different (13)C labeling schemes with the purpose of overcoming the interfering effects of (13)C-(13)C dipole-dipole couplings in stationary samples. The membrane-bound form of the major coat protein of the filamentous bacteriophage Pf1 was used as an example of a well-characterized helical membrane protein. Aligned protein samples randomly enriched to 35% (13)C in all sites and metabolically labeled from bacterial growth on media containing [2-(13)C]-glycerol or [1,3-(13)C]-glycerol enables direct (13)C detection in solid-state NMR experiments without the need for homonuclear (13)C-(13)C dipole-dipole decoupling. The (13)C-detected NMR spectra of Pf1 coat protein show a substantial increase in sensitivity compared to the equivalent (15)N-detected spectra. The isotopic labeling pattern was analyzed for [2-(13)C]-glycerol and [1,3-(13)C]-glycerol as metabolic precursors by solution-state NMR of micelle samples. Polarization inversion spin exchange at the magic angle (PISEMA) and other solid-state NMR experiments work well on 35% random fractionally and metabolically tailored (13)C-labeled samples, in contrast to their failure with conventional 100% uniformly (13)C-labeled samples.     

Structural analysis of alanine tripeptide with antiparallel and parallel beta-sheet structures in relation to the analysis of mixed beta-sheet structures in Samia cynthia ricini silk protein fiber using solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The structural analysis of natural protein fibers with mixed parallel and antiparallel beta-sheet structures by solid-state NMR is reported. To obtain NMR parameters that can characterize these beta-sheet structures, (13)C solid-state NMR experiments were performed on two alanine tripeptide samples: one with 100% parallel beta-sheet structure and the other with 100% antiparallel beta-sheet structure. All (13)C resonances of the tripeptides could be assigned by a comparison of the methyl (13)C resonances of Ala(3) with different [3-(13)C]Ala labeling schemes and also by a series of RFDR (radio frequency driven recoupling) spectra observed by changing mixing times. Two (13)C resonances observed for each Ala residue could be assigned to two nonequivalent molecules per unit cell. Differences in the (13)C chemical shifts and (13)C spin-lattice relaxation times (T(1)) were observed between the two beta-sheet structures. Especially, about 3 times longer T(1) values were obtained for parallel beta-sheet structure as compared to those of antiparallel beta-sheet structure, which could be explicable by the difference in the hydrogen-bond networks of both structures. This very large difference in T(1) becomes a good measure to differentiate between parallel or antiparallel beta-sheet structures. These differences in the NMR parameters found for the tripeptides may be applied to assign the parallel and antiparallel beta-sheet (13)C resonances in the asymmetric and broad methyl spectra of [3-(13)C]Ala silk protein fiber of a wild silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini.