The use of pulsed NMR to determine morphology of macromolecules

The study of the T₂ relaxation of nuclear spins, using a pulsed NMR sequence, can provide information on many aspects of molecular weight and mobility, morphology, crosslinking, entanglements, as well as on the influence of temperature and of solvents. This relatively new technique of analysis, based largely on irradiated polymers of known arrangements can also be extended to biopolymers, and determine for example the influence of additives, of radiation or chemical rearrangement, on the configuration and mobility of these macromolecules. The method of T₂ relaxation by spin-spin interaction is quite distinct from the very widely utilised T₁ spin-lattice interaction which depends primarily on local environment, suitable for the determination of chemical structure. The T₂ pulsed technique is particularly appropriate to analyse complex systems, as for example partially crystalline specimen, network-non network composites, molecular rearrangements occurring during melting or crystallization oriented and reinforced polymers dissolved or entangled high molecular weight chain molecules. Many of the data provided by this techniques can now be understood, but in some systems, basic work still remains to be done to elucidate the meaning of the information which it provides.     

固体核磁共振弛豫在高分子研究中的应用

本文综述了近年来固体核磁弛豫方法在高分子研究中的应用，共分５个部分加以介绍：（１）自旋－晶格弛豫过程；（２）在旋转坐标系中的＾１３Ｃ自旋－晶格弛豫过程；（３）交叉极化速率和旋转坐标系中的＾１Ｈ自旋－晶格弛豫过程；（４）自旋－自旋弛豫过程；（５）动态结构导致的线形变化。本文主要讨论磁性核的各种弛豫过程以及它们与分子结构和分子运动的关系。     

三种不同分子结构阴离子表面活性剂胶束微结构的NMR研究

用核磁共振测定自旋-晶格、自旋-自旋弛豫时间(t₁,t₂)、自扩散系数(D),用2DNOESY技术对正十四烷基硫酸钠、β-戊基壬烷基硫酸钠和β-戊基壬烷基聚氧乙烯醚(4)硫酸钠三类阴离子表面活性剂水溶液进行了观测,烷烃链各基团的t₂/t₁值给出了这三类分子形成各自胶束的水合层位点信息以及烷烃链在胶束内核中堆积程度的比较,自扩散系数结果表明,β-戊基壬烷基硫酸钠比正十四烷基硫酸钠形成的胶束的水合动力学半径小,但β-戊基壬烷基聚氧乙烯醚(4)硫酸钠形成的胶束水合动力学半径明显大于其它两类表面活性剂胶束,2DNOESY谱图提供了β-戊基壬烷基聚氧乙烯醚(4)硫酸钠分子中聚氧乙烯基键在胶束外层卷曲排列的信息.     

Dilatometric, dielectric and NMR studies of structural phase transitions of the (CH3NH3)3Bi2Cl9 (MACB) crystals

The phase transitions and molecular motions of the methylammonium cations were investigated in the (CH₃NH₃)₃Bi₂Cl₉ (MACB) crystal by dilatometric and dielectric measurements, and by the measurements of the ¹H spin-lattice relaxation times and second moment of the ¹H NMR absorptions over a wide temperature range. Structural phase transitions, weakly first order at 247 K (III ↔ II) and continuous at 352 K (II ↔ I), were detected by the dilatometric technique. The ¹H NMR measurements revealed the presence of the uniaxial reorientations of the three non-equivalent methylammonium cations in the lowest temperature phase (III).     

1,2-聚丁二烯~(13)C-NMR弛豫的溶剂效应

本文测定了一系列具有不同微观结构的1,2-聚丁二烯样品在四种溶剂的50.3MHz ~(13)C自旋-晶格弛豫时间(T_1)和核Overhauser效应(NOE)值。并用Schaefer logx~2相关时间分布模型对实验数据进行了拟合。研究了1,2-聚丁二烯在溶液中的~(13)C-NMR弛豫的溶剂效应及其与结构的关系。发现聚合物与溶剂的溶解度参数之差△δ越大,聚合物在溶液中协同链段运动趋向越明显,~(13)C自旋-晶格弛豫速率(1/T_1)越大;1,2-链节较少,分子链较柔顺时,~(13)C-NMR弛豫受溶剂影响较显著。NMR弛豫参数对结构变化的反应在良溶剂中比在不良溶剂中敏感。     

Parahydrogen induced polarization of barbituric acid derivatives: 1H hyperpolarization studies

Homogeneous hydrogenation of barbituric acid derivatives with parahydrogen yields a substantial increase of the (1)H NMR signals of the reaction products. These physiologically relevant compounds were hydrogenated at both ambient and elevated temperatures and pressures using a standard cationic rhodium catalyst. The resulting nonthermal nuclear spin polarization (hyperpolarization) is limited by the spin-lattice relaxation time T(1) of the corresponding nuclei in the products, being shorter than the time constant of the hydrogenation. The signal-to-noise ratio of the NMR spectra could be further increased upon signal averaging the antiphase PHIP signals of 25 successive scans following 30 degrees pulse experiments and a delay of 10 s.     

Conformational analysis of a quinolonic ribonucleoside with anti-HSV-1 activity

The infections caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus are one of the most common sources of diseases in adults and several natural nucleoside analogues are currently used in the treatment of these infections. In vitro tests of a series of quinolonic ribonucleosides derivatives synthesized by part of our group indicated that some of them have antiviral activity against HSV-1.The conformational analysis of bioactive compounds is extremely important in order to better understand their chemical structures and biological activity. In this work, we have carried out a nuclear relaxation NMR study of 6-Me ribonucleoside derivative in order to determine if the syn or anti conformation is preferential. The NMR analysis permits the determination of inter-atomic distances by using techniques which are based on nuclear relaxation and related phenomena. Those techniques are non-selective longitudinal or spin-lattice relaxation rates and NULL pulse sequence, which allow the determination of distances between pairs of hydrogen atoms. The results of NMR studies were compared with those obtained by molecular modeling.     

The Use of Low Field NMR and Thermal Analysis to the Wood Polymer Composite Study

Summary: The focus of this work was to characterize the molecular dynamic of High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS - 5% PB), wood - A (Vochysia divergens) and B (Erisma uncinatum) - and their composites, using solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), by measuring the proton spin-lattice relaxation time (T₁H) using a low field NMR, and by thermal analysis as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). DSC and TGA measurements show that both woods present the same molecular behavior. On the other hand, the spin-lattice relaxation time observed that the water is interfering in the packing and arrangements of cellulose chains due to inter and intra hydrogen molecular interactions, promoting the T₁H values changed to high values. T₁H shows that the sample B presents a higher rigidity than sample A. However, HIPS presents higher T₁H values comparing to wood types. Analyzing the relaxation data for the composites, the values indicate that composites present an interaction between both components.     

Structural Assignment of Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Monomer and Polymer by 1-D and 2-D Solution NMR Studies

In the present study, the synthesis and characterization of a methacrylic-based side chain liquid crystalline monomer and its polymer were investigated with the aid of both 1-D and 2-D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The mesophase characteristics of the monomer and polymer were determined by hot-stage optical polarized microscopy (HOPM). The nematic and smectic phases were observed for the monomer and polymer. Furthermore, ¹³C spin-lattice relaxation time measurements were performed on the above systems in order to monitor molecular dynamics. The present study provides an opportunity to carry out a systematic comparison of the evolution of structural as well as dynamical changes of the monomer and the polymer.     

Chain behavior of an amphoteric cellulose derivative: O-carboxymethyl-O-2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio) propylcellulose

The ¹³C NMR spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁) of anhydroglucose units vary with the number of substituents, and the T₁ values of unsubstituted anhydroglucose units of O-carboxymethylcellulose are longer than those of amylose. Those results indicate that in water, the rotational motions of anhydroglucose units of cellulose derivative are quite important local motions contributing to the ¹³C NMR spin-lattice relaxation, and within a cellulose chain, anhydroglucose units rotate with different degrees of freedom depending on their environment. Moreover, the ¹³C NMR spin-lattice relaxation data indicate that the mobilities of ionic substituents are dependent on substitution positions as well as their ionic interaction. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chain dynamics in partially cross-linked polyethylene by combined rheology and NMR-based molecular rheology

In recent years, ¹H double-quantum NMR (DQ NMR) was established as a suitable molecular-rheology technique to elucidate chain dynamics and to determine entanglement or crosslink densities in linear entangled polymer melts and permanent as well as transient networks. In this work, industrial grade high-density polyethylene, partially cross-linked via electron beam irradiation in the semicrystalline state, is probed in the melt state by low-field DQ NMR and shear rheology. The DQ NMR data is analyzed by two approaches, one assuming the presence of a permanent network and the other considering the potentially complex relaxation spectrum of the studied inhomogeneous systems. A correlation between the DQ NMR results and extent of cross-linking is found. By direct comparison of the rheological results and the NMR-based segmental orientation autocorrelation functions (OACF) via time–temperature superposition (TTS), qualitative consistency between the microscopic and macroscopic observables is established. In this way, the frequency range of shear rheology can be extended by about two decades into the 10 krad/s range. The NMR method is thus a valuable extension of the toolbox of characterization techniques, where gel content measurements by solvent extraction proved to be the least sensitive.     

Pseudo-solid echoes of proton and deuteron NMR in polyethvlene melts

Summary The solid echo technique is applied to determining residual dipolar and quadrupolar couplings in molten polyethylene (PE) and deuterated PE, respectively. The residual coupling defined by the square root of the second moment is about 1% of the corresponding quantity in the solid. It increases with molecular weight, and decreases with rising temperature. A theoretical treatment of time dependent residual couplings yields a decay time that is found experimentally to be about 0.1 ms in molten PE, and independent of molecular weight and temperature within our limits of accuracy. The residual coupling is discussed in relation with chain entanglement in PE. Measurements of the spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation time are related with the more rapid segmental motion of PE chains.With 4 figures and 2 tables     

Precise Molecular Weight Determination and Structure Characterization of End-functionalized Polymers: An NMR Approach via Combination of One-dimensional and Two-dimensional Techniques

We present here the application of one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR techniques to characterize the structure of methoxyl end-functionalized polystyrenes (PS).The peaks in 1H-NMR spectra corresponding to main-chain,side-chain and chain-end groups are assigned by 1H-1H gCOSY,1H-13C gHSQC and gHMBC spectra.For the first time,the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) of protons of the chain-ends is revealed to be affected more by polymer molecular weight (MW) than by the protons of the main-chains and the side-chains (almost independent from MW).As a result,a much higher delay time (d1) for chain-ends (d1 ＞ 20T1) is needed for quantitative NMR measurement when using end-group estimation method to obtain the MW of PS,which is in accordance with the value estimated by GPC.An improved method for the polymer MW determination is established,by combination of different NMR techniques to distinguish the peaks,and a large dl setting to achieve quantitative NMR analysis.     

1H and 13C NMR spectra of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine in CDCl3 solution and in sonicated dispersions in 2H2O

A mixed-acid monounsaturated lecithin, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (POL), has been synthesized by phospholipase A₂ digestion of 1,2 dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine followed by reacylation of the lysolecithin with oleic anhydride. ¹H (90 MHz) and ¹³C (25.2 MHz) NMR spectra of POL in CDCl₃ solution and in sonicated dispersions in ²H₂O have been obtained, and spin-lattice relaxation times measured. The relaxation times were characteristic of the type of structure formed and reflect molecular motion within the lecithin molecule in each structure. In both systems the spin-lattice relaxation times increase along the alkyl chains towards the terminal methyl group, showing a corresponding increase in the chain molecular motion, although there are significant differences in the gradation of the changes.     

Molecular weight effect on the complexation of poly(methacrylic acid) and poly(ethylene oxide) as studied by high-resolution solid-state C NMR spectroscopy

Complexes of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with different PEO molecular weight were studied by solid-state high-resolution ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, with the emphasis on the PEO molecular weight effect on inter-polymer interaction, morphology and molecular motion. It is found that the crystalline phase of PEO is completely destroyed in the complex. The results of ¹H transverse relaxation times and ¹³C spin-lattice relaxation times indicate that the chain mobility of both PEO and PMAA are greatly restricted by inter-molecular hydrogen-bonding interactions, especially when the molecular weight of PEO is 1500. The bulk structures of the complexes are found to be closely dependent on the molecular weight of PEO. The fraction of “free” PEO segments without forming hydrogen-bonds with PMAA increases with increasing PEO molecular weight.     

Quantification of cross polarization with relaxation compensated reciprocity relation in NMR

The reciprocity relation in solid state NMR has been extended to include the effects of spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame. This method was successfully applied to the experiments of Hartmann–Hahn cross polarization, making the originally non-quantified NMR spectra quantitative. In addition, it provides detailed dynamics of cross polarization that is often obscured by spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame and by some other effects.     

NMR spectroscopy and free volume analysis of the effects of copolymer composition on the swelling kinetics and chain dynamics of highly crosslinked copolymers of acrylic acid with PEG‐containing multiacrylates

Novel ionizable polymer networks were prepared from oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) multiacrylates and acrylic acid (AA), employing bulk radical photopolymerization techniques. The properties of these materials exhibited a complex dependence on the network structure and composition. Penetrant sorption experiments demonstrated that the crosslinked structure of the copolymers depended very strongly on the AA content as well as the number of ethylene glycol groups. The impact of varying the AA content and the oligo(ethylene glycol) chain length on the polymer chain dynamics was examined using diffusion and ¹³C NMR relaxation studies. The penetrant uptake studies indicated a coupling of Fickian and relaxation‐driven contributions to the swelling behavior. The effect of increasing the AA content on the characteristic chain relaxation time was reversed as the oligo(ethylene glycol) chain length was varied, indicating that chain relaxation is controlled by structural considerations, for shorter oligo(ethylene glycol) chains, and by compositional considerations, for longer oligo(ethylene glycol) chains. Measured compositional effects on solid state ¹³C NMR relaxation times supported these conclusions. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1953–1968, 1999     

1,2-聚丁二烯分子运动的~(13)C-NMR研究——Ⅱ.分子运动的温度依赖性

本文用200MHz脉冲傅利叶变换波谱仪测定了1,2-聚丁二烯样品在不同温度下的~(13)C-T_(19)NOE,线宽和化学位移等~(13)G自旋弛豫参数,研究了1,2-聚丁二烯分子运动的温度依赖性.结果发现,在-10—-30℃之间,样品中各碳核的NOE和谱线宽度随温度变化的曲线斜率增加,表明此时长程链运动冻结;各碳核nT_1随温度的变化均在-45℃左右出现极小值.     

An NMR and molecular modeling study of carbosilane-based dendrimers functionalized with phenolic groups or titanium complexes at the periphery

Dendrimers are modified polymers whose architecture is defined by the presence of a central atom or core with multiple branches. These molecules lend themselves to a variety of architectures and uses, including drug delivery and catalysis. The study of the molecular conformations and shapes of dendritic molecules is necessary but not yet routine. Here we present an NMR and molecular modeling study of a series of carbosilane dendrimers, namely 1G-{(CH2)3[C6H3(OMe)]OH}4 (1), 2G-{(CH2)3[C6H3(OMe)]OH}8 (2), and 2G-{(CH2)3[C6H3(OMe)]O[Ti(C5H5)Cl2]}8 (3). Various two-dimensional NMR techniques were used to completely assign the 1H and 13C resonances of molecules 1-3. This information was used, in conjunction with 1H and 13C spin-lattice relaxation measurements, to assess the chain motion of the molecules. The NMR data were also compared with 1-ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of 1 and 2 using the MMFF94 force field. The results indicate that these dendrimers possess a core that is motionally decoupled from the rest of the dendrimer, with flexible arm segments that extend from the core. The addition of eight functionalized titanium groups to the ends of the dendrimer chains of 2 to yield molecule 3 serves to further restrict chain motion.     

Towards quantification of butadiene content in styrene-butadiene block copolymers and their blends with general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and the relation between mechanical properties and NMR relaxation times

The properties of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymers do not only depend on the butadiene content and the degree of polymerisation but also on their chain architecture. In this contribution we present the results of a low-field time domain (TD) NMR study in which the transverse relaxation behaviour of different SBS block copolymers was analysed and correlated with findings from mechanical testing on pure and blended materials and transmission electron microscopy data which provide information on the microphase separation.The results indicate that while a straightforward determination of the butadiene content as in blended materials like ABS is not possible for these materials, the TD-NMR results correlate quite well with the mechanical performance of blends from SBS block copolymers with general purpose polystyrene (GPPS), i.e. industrial grade homopolymer polystyrene. Temperature-dependent experiments on pure and blended materials revealed a slight reduction in the softening temperature of the GPPS fraction in the blends.