Separate-local-field NMR spectroscopy on half-integer quadrupolar nuclei

New approaches to the characterization of resonances in the solid-state NMR spectroscopy of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei are explored, on the basis of the acquisition of heteronuclear separate-local-field spectra on rotating solids. In their two-dimensional version, these experiments correlate for each chemical site a second-order quadrupolar MAS powder pattern with the dipolar MAS sideband pattern to nearby heteronuclei. As 3D NMR sequences, such 2D anisotropic correlation spectra become separated for inequivalent chemical sites along a third, isotropic dimension. Extending in such manner separate-local-field NMR approaches to quadrupoles facilitates the assignment of inequivalent resonances to specific structural environments, and provides new tools for the investigation of dynamics in solids. Details about these 2D and 3D NMR experiments are given, and their application is illustrated with 1H-23Na recoupling experiments on mononucleotides possessing multiple bound cations.     

High resolution 3D exchange NMR spectroscopy and the mapping of connectivities between half-integer quadrupolar nuclei

A novel approach to the determination of structure and potential dynamics in the solid-state NMR spectroscopy of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei is proposed and demonstrated. The new experiment combines into a single three-dimensional sequence, 2D multiple-quantum magic-angle-spinning NMR and 2D exchange NMR protocols. The result separates for each inequivalent chemical site its spin-diffusion powder line shape to proximate homonuclei. A peculiar feature of the experiment is the asymmetry it displays in the individual 2D powder patterns, resulting from its encoding of isotropic shifts before the mixing period. The resulting spectra facilitate the interpretation of the structural and dynamic features for the individual sites; experimental applications of this new method to relative geometry determinations in 23Na-23Na spin pairs are presented, and the quantitative evaluation of the resulting data is briefly discussed.     

Reintroducing anisotropic interactions in magic-angle-spinning NMR of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei: 3D MQMAS

Selective reintroduction of anisotropic interactions such as the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) and homonucler dipolar (HMD) coupling were implemented in a high-resolution NMR spectroscopy for half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. Rotary resonance recoupling (R(3)) combined with the multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning (MQMAS) in a three-dimensional (3D) experiment provides not only site-specific high-resolution spectra to yield the quadrupolar interaction parameters but also the CSA or HMD interaction parameters. This 3D experiment provides an avenue for the complete local structural information of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. Three-dimensional MQMAS experiments incorporating R(3) of HMD and CSA interactions were demonstrated on model compounds containing (11)B, (23)Na, and (87)Rb nuclei.     

Crystal structure based design of signal enhancement schemes for solid-state NMR of insensitive half-integer quadrupolar nuclei

A combination of density functional and optimal control theory has been used to generate amplitude- and phase-modulated excitation pulses tailored specifically for the (33)S nuclei in taurine, based on one of several reported crystal structures. The pulses resulted in significant signal enhancement (stemming from population transfer from the satellite transitions) without the need for any experimental optimization. This allowed an accurate determination of the (33)S NMR interaction parameters at natural abundance and at a moderate magnetic field strength (11.7 T). The (33)S NMR parameters, along with those measured from (14)N using frequency-swept pulses, were then used to assess the accuracy of various proposed crystal structures.     

Dynamic effects in MAS and MQMAS NMR spectra of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei: calculations and an application to the double perovskite cryolite

Dynamic processes such as chemical exchange or rotations between inequivalent orientations can affect the magic-angle spinning (MAS) and the multiple-quantum (MQ) MAS NMR spectra of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. The present paper discusses such dynamic multisite MAS and MQMAS effects and applies them to study the dynamic processes that occur in the double perovskite cryolite, Na3AlF6. Dynamic line shape simulations invoking a second-order broadening of the central transition and relying on the semiclassical Bloch-McConnell formalism for chemical exchange were performed for a variety of exchange models possessing different symmetries. Fitting experimental variable-temperature cryolite 23Na NMR data with this formalism revealed that the two inequivalent sodium sites in this mineral undergo an exchange characterized by a broad distribution of rates. To further assess this dynamic process a variety of 27Al and 19F MAS NMR studies were also undertaken; quantitative 27Al-19F dipolar coupling measurements then revealed a dynamic motion of the AlF6 octahedra that were qualitatively consistent with predictions stemming from molecular dynamic simulations on this double perovskite.     

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei in solids: satellite-transition MAS with self-compensation for magic-angle misset

Several methods are available for obtaining high-resolution NMR spectra of half-integer spin quadrupolar nuclei, such as (11)B, (23)Na (I = (3)/(2)) and (17)O, (27)Al (I = (5)/(2)), in powdered solids. Satellite-transition magic-angle spinning (STMAS) uses only conventional magic-angle spinning (MAS) hardware and, it has been claimed, improves significantly upon the signal-to-noise ratio obtained with the widely adopted multiple-quantum MAS (MQMAS) experiment. The STMAS technique, however, requires that the sample rotation axis be set to the magic angle (cos(-1)(1/ radical 3) = 54.736 degrees ) with respect to the magnetic field B(0) with an accuracy of better than +/-0.004 degrees, and this stringent requirement has severely limited the use of the method. Here, we propose a novel version of STMAS that self-compensates for magic-angle missets of up to +/-1.0 degrees and yet retains a sensitivity comparable with MQMAS. This SCAM-STMAS experiment is demonstrated on RbNO(3) using (87)Rb (I = (3)/(2)) NMR and on kyanite (Al(2)SiO(5)) using (27)Al (I = (5)/(2)) NMR.     

Solid state analysis in mechanochemistry by high resolution 27Al solid state NMR spectroscopy

Modern solid state NMR techniques [one-dimensional magic angle spinning (MAS) and two-dimensional quadrupole nutation experiments with MAS] are applied for the characterization of mechanochemically activated inorganic powders such as hydrargillite [γ-Al(OH)₃] and pseudo-boehmite [synthetic γ-AlO(OH)]. The materials were activated in a vibration mill.     

Spin-locking of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei in nuclear magnetic resonance of solids: creation and evolution of coherences

Spin-locking of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei, such as 23Na (I=3/2) and 27Al (I=5/2), is of renewed interest owing to the development of variants of the multiple-quantum and satellite-transition magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance experiments that either utilize spin-locking directly or offer the possibility that spin-locked states may arise. However, the large magnitude and, under MAS, the time dependence of the quadrupolar interaction often result in complex spin-locking phenomena that are not widely understood. Here we show that, following the application of a spin-locking pulse, a variety of coherence transfer processes occur on a time scale of approximately 1/omegaQ before the spin system settles down into a spin-locked state which may itself be time dependent if MAS is performed. We show theoretically for both spin I=3/2 and 5/2 nuclei that the spin-locked state created by this initial rapid dephasing typically consists of a variety of single- and multiple-quantum coherences and nonequilibrium population states and we discuss the subsequent evolution of these under MAS. In contrast to previous work, we consider spin-locking using a wide range of radio frequency field strengths, i.e., a range that covers both the "strong-field" (omega1 > omegaQPAS and "weak-field" (omega1 < omegaQPAS limits. Single- and multiple-quantum filtered spin-locking experiments on NaNO2, NaNO3, and Al(acac)3, under both static and MAS conditions, are used to illustrate and confirm the results of the theoretical discussion.     

A very sensitive high-resolution NMR method for quadrupolar nuclei: SPAM-DQF-STMAS

We show that by combining the intrinsically larger (with respect to MQMAS) efficiency of Double-Quantum Filtered Satellite-Transition MAS (DQF-STMAS), with the large S/N gain of the Soft-Pulse Added Mixing (SPAM) concept, a new very sensitive high-resolution solid-state NMR method can be obtained for semi-integer quadrupolar nuclei.     

Solid state 17O NMR-an introduction to the background principles and applications to inorganic materials

Oxygen is a key chemical element and solid state NMR can provide unique insight into the its local environment. In the last decade there have been significant advances (sensitivity, resolution) in the NMR methodology for non-integer spin quadrupole nuclei such as oxygen and the background to these techniques is presented in this tutorial review. The information that the NMR parameters can provide about the local environment is explained through a series of illustrations from different areas of solid state chemistry and structural science of inorganic materials.     

Measuring distances between half-integer quadrupolar nuclei and detecting relative orientations of quadrupolar and dipolar tensors by double-quantum homonuclear dipolar recoupling nuclear magnetic resonance experiments

We studied the possibility of using double-quantum homonuclear dipolar recoupling magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance experiments for structural analysis of systems of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. We investigated symmetry-based recoupling schemes R2(2) (1) and R2(2) (1)R2(2) (-1) and showed that the obtained double-quantum filtered signals depend substantially on magnitudes and relative orientations of dipolar and quadrupolar tensors. Experimental results measured on aluminophosphate molecular sieve AlPO(4)-14, containing dipolar-coupled spin-52 aluminum nuclei, were compared to results of time-consuming numerical simulations. The comparison for short mixing times allowed us to roughly measure internuclear Al-Al distances, if constraints about relative tensor orientations were available. Inspection of relative orientations of dipolar and quadrupolar tensors, using known distances between nuclei, required experimental and simulated data for long mixing times and yielded less accurate results. Two experimental protocols were employed for measuring double-quantum filtered curves, the symmetric protocol, in which excitation and reconversion periods are incremented simultaneously, and the asymmetric protocol, in which only the length of the excitation period is incremented and the length of the reconversion period is kept constant. The former experimental protocol was more convenient for the detection of internuclear distances, and the latter one was more appropriate for the inspection of relative orientations of interaction tensors.     

Solid state analysis in mechanochemistry by high resolution 27Al solid state NMR spectroscopy

Modern solid state NMR techniques [one-dimensional magic angle spinning (MAS) and two-dimensional quadrupole nutation experiments with MAS] are applied for the characterization of mechanochemically activated inorganic powders such as hydrargillite [-Al(OH)₃] and pseudo-boehmite [synthetic -AlO(OH)]. The materials were activated in a vibration mill.     

SPAM-MQ-HETCOR: an improved method for heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy between quadrupolar and spin-1/2 nuclei in solid-state NMR

The recently introduced concept of soft pulse added mixing (SPAM) is used in two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) NMR experiments between half-integer quadrupolar and spin-1/2 nuclei. The experiments employ multiple quantum magic angle spinning (MQMAS) to remove the second order quadrupolar broadening and cross polarization (CP) or refocused INEPT for magnetization transfer. By using previously unexploited coherence pathways, the efficiency of SPAM-MQ-HETCOR NMR is increased by a factor of almost two without additional optimization. The sensitivity gain is demonstrated on a test sample, AlPO(4)-14, using CP and INEPT to correlate (27)Al and (31)P nuclei. SPAM-3Q-HETCOR is then applied to generate (27)Al-(31)P spectra of the devitrified 41Na(2)O-20.5Al(2)O(3)-38.5P(2)O(5) glass and the silicoaluminophosphate ECR-40. Finally, the method allowed the acquisition of the first high resolution solid-state correlation spectra between (27)Al and (29)Si.     

Separating chemical shift and quadrupolar anisotropies via multiple-quantum NMR spectroscopy

Chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) has been an invaluable probe of structure and dynamics for a variety of systems in NMR spectroscopy. Unfortunately, the presence of strong quadrupolar couplings has severely limited the ability to measure CSA in nuclei with spins I > 1/2. Here we show that these two interactions can be refocused at different times in a 2D multiple-quantum NMR experiment on polycrystalline samples. Combining this experiment with appropriate affine transformations allows these interactions to be cleanly separated into orthogonal dimensions. The 1D projection onto each axis can be fit to extract the respective principal tensor components. These components can then be used to fit the 2D spectrum for the relative orientation between the CSA and quadrupolar-coupling tensors. The necessary affine transformation parameters are given for all possible I values. Illustrative examples of spectra and analyses are given for 63Cu in K3[Cu(CN)4], 59Co in K3[Co(CN)6], and 87Rb in RbCrO4.     

Through-bond homonuclear correlation experiments in solid-state NMR applied to quadrupolar nuclei in Al-O-P-O-Al chains

Through-bond homonuclear correlation experiments can be realised in solids between spins of type X, separated by four chemical bonds, in X-O-Y-O-X motifs, provided a J coupling between X and Y exists: central transitions of quadrupolar 27Al spins can be correlated via the J2 scalar coupling between 27Al (X) and 31P (Y) in materials featuring Al-O-P-O-Al motifs.     

Ultrahigh-field NMR spectroscopy of quadrupolar transition metals: 55Mn NMR of several solid manganese carbonyls

55Mn NMR spectra acquired at 21.14 T (nu(L)(55Mn) = 223.1 MHz) are presented and demonstrate the advantages of using ultrahigh magnetic fields for characterizing the chemical shift tensors of several manganese carbonyls: eta5-CpMn(CO)3, Mn2(CO)10, and (CO)5MnMPh3 (M = Ge, Sn, Pb). For the compounds investigated, the anisotropies of the manganese chemical shift tensors are less than 250 ppm except for eta5-CpMn(CO)3, which has an anisotropy of 920 ppm. At 21.14 T, one can excite the entire m(I) = 1/2 <--> m(I) = -1/2 central transition of eta5-CpMn(CO)3, which has a breadth of approximately 700 kHz. The breadth arises from second-order quadrupolar broadening due to the 55Mn quadrupolar coupling constant of 64.3 MHz, as well as the anisotropic shielding. Subtle variations in the electric field gradient tensors at the manganese are observed for crystallographically unique sites in two of the solid pentacarbonyls, resulting in measurably different C(Q) values. MQMAS experiments are able to distinguish four magnetically unique Mn sites in (CO)(5)MnPbPh3, each with slightly different values of delta(iso), C(Q), and eta(Q).     

Towards homonuclear J solid-state NMR correlation experiments for half-integer quadrupolar nuclei: experimental and simulated 11B MAS spin-echo dephasing and calculated 2J(BB) coupling constants for lithium diborate

Magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spin-echo dephasing is systematically investigated for the spin I = 3/2 (11)B nucleus in lithium diborate, Li(2)O·2B(2)O(3). A clear dependence on the quadrupolar frequency (ω(Q)(PAS)/2π = 3C(Q)/[4I(2I- 1)]) is observed: the B3 (larger C(Q)) site dephases more slowly than the B4 site at all investigated MAS frequencies (5 to 20 kHz) at 14.1 T. Increasing the MAS frequency leads to markedly slower dephasing for the B3 site, while there is a much less evident effect for the B4 site. Considering samples at 5, 25, 80 (natural abundance) and 100% (11)B isotopic abundance, dephasing becomes faster for both sites as the (11)B isotopic abundance increases. The experimental behaviour is rationalised using density matrix simulations for two and three dipolar-coupled (11)B nuclei. The experimentally observed slower dephasing for the larger C(Q) (B3) site is reproduced in all simulations and is explained by the reintroduction of the dipolar coupling by the so-called "spontaneous quadrupolar-driven recoupling mechanism" having a different dependence on the MAS frequency for different quadrupolar frequencies. Specifically, isolated spin-pair simulations show that the spontaneous quadrupolar-driven recoupling mechanism is most efficient when the quadrupolar frequency is equal to twice the MAS frequency. While for isolated spin-pair simulations, increasing the MAS frequency leads to faster dephasing, agreement with experiment is observed for three-spin simulations which additionally include the homogeneous nature of the homonuclear dipolar coupling network. First-principles calculations, using the GIPAW approach, of the (2)J(11B-11B) couplings in lithium diborate, metaborate and triborate are presented: a clear trend is revealed whereby the (2)J(11B-11B) couplings increase with increasing B-O-B bond angle and B-B distance. However, the calculated (2)J(11B-11B) couplings are small (0.95, 1.20 and 2.65 Hz in lithium diborate), thus explaining why no zero crossing due to J modulation is observed experimentally, even for the sample at 25% (11)B where significant spin-echo intensity remains out to durations of ～200 ms.     

Seeking higher resolution and sensitivity for NMR of quadrupolar nuclei at ultrahigh magnetic fields

We report the acquisition of solid-state NMR spectra of quadrupolar nuclei obtained at very high magnetic fields (25 and 40 T), thus improving spectral sensitivity and resolution. For an example compound, the MAS spectrum obtained at 40 T is nearly free from the second-order quadrupolar broadening and can be interpreted quantitatively in a very simple manner.     

Novel two-dimensional NMR methods that combine single-quantum cross-polarization and multiple-quantum MAS of quadrupolar nuclei

A new approach to combining cross-polarization with multiple-quantum MAS in a two-dimensional NMR experiment is demonstrated, involving cross-polarization from ¹H to the single-quantum coherences of a quadrupolar nucleus. These coherences are then converted directly to multiple-quantum coherences rather than via a population state. In two separate methods, pure-absorption lineshapes are obtained using a z-filter and a shifted echo, respectively, with the latter, a ‘reversed split-t₁' method, demonstrated to be particularly effective. The efficiency of both sequences may be improved by incorporating ‘fast-amplitude-modulation' (FAM) pulses for both the conversion and excitation of triple-quantum coherences.     

Dynamic nuclear polarization of quadrupolar nuclei using cross polarization from protons: surface-enhanced aluminium-27 NMR

The surface of γ-alumina nanoparticles can be characterized by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) surface-enhanced NMR of (27)Al. DNP is combined with cross-polarization and MQ-MAS to determine local symmetries of (27)Al sites at the surface.