Magic Angle-Oriented Sample Spinning (MAOSS): A New Approach toward Biomembrane Studies

The application of magic angle sample spinning (MAS) NMR to uniformly aligned biomembrane samples is demonstrated as a new general approach toward structural studies of membrane proteins, peptides, and lipids. The spectral linewidth from a multilamellar lipid dispersion is dominated, in the case of protons, by the dipolar coupling. For low-γ or dilute spins, however, the chemical shift anisotropy dominates the spectral linewidth, which is reduced by the two-dimensional order in a uniformly aligned lipid membrane. The remaining line broadening, which is due to orientational defects (“mosaic spread”) can be easily removed at low spinning speeds. This orientational order in the sample also allows the anisotropic intermolecular motions of membrane components (such as rotational diffusion, τ_c= 10⁻¹⁰s) for averaging dipolar interactions to be utilized, e.g., by placing the membrane normal parallel to the rotor axis. The dramatic resolution improvement for protons which are achieved in a lipid sample at only 220 Hz spinning speed in a 9.4 T field is slightly better than any data published to date using ultra-high fields (up to 17.6 T) and high-speed spinning (14 kHz). Additionally, the analysis of spinning sidebands provides valuable orientational information. We present the first¹H,³¹P, and¹³C MAS spectra of uniformly aligned dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayers. Also,¹H resolution enhancement for the aromatic region of the M13 coat protein reconstituted into DMPC bilayers is presented. This new method combines the high resolution usually achieved by MAS with the advantages of orientational constraints obtained by working with macroscopically oriented samples. We describe the general potential and possible perspectives of this technique.     

Zur Bestimmung chemischer Verschiebungen der NMR-Frequenzen bei Quadrupolkernen aus den MAS-NMR-Spektren

Determination of Chemical Shifts of NMR-Frequencies of Quadrupolar Nuclei from the MAS-NMR Spectra The general expressions for the NMR central transition of rotating samples with quadrupolar nuclei of half-integer spins, derived by BEHRENS [1, 2] for arbitrary angles of inclination of the spinning axis considering second-order quadrupolar effects, are presented for the practically interesting case of magic angle spinning (MAS) in a form analogous to the expressions for the resting sample. The theory is tested and used for the exact determination of the chemical shift values from the MAS-²⁷Al-NMR spectra of two representative aluminates.     

The Raman spectroscopy of neutron transmutation doping isotope Germanium nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 matrix

We have succeeded in doping arsenic (As) impurities into isotope germanium nanocrystals (nc-⁷⁴Ge) uniformly dispersed in a SiO₂ matrix by using the neutron transmutation doping (NTD) method. The samples’ inner structural transmutation is studied by combining Raman scattering, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) methods. The Raman spectrum of the doped sample exhibits a relative intensity increase of the low frequency tail, blue shift of the main Raman peak (∼300 cm⁻¹) and a high frequency tail, while the undoped sample does not. Together with the XRF, XPS and TEM, we believe that the relative intensity increase of the low frequency tail arises from an increase of amorphous ⁷⁴Ge (a-⁷⁴Ge) induced by the irradiation damage. The blue shift of the main Raman peak comes from the mismatch of the crystal lattice which arose from the As impurity introduction. And the high frequency tail is due to transmuted-impurities (As) in the nc-⁷⁴Ge which was introduced by NTD.     

Magic-angle-spinning NMR on solid biological systems. Analysis Of the origin of the spectral linewidths

Magic-angle-spinning (MAS) high-power ¹H-decoupled ¹³C and ³¹P NMR has been applied to solid biological materials to obtain information about the mechanisms that determine the spectral linewidths. The line broadening in MAS ³¹P NMR spectra of solid tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) has been investigated by selective saturation and T₂ measurements. About 90 Hz stems from homogeneous effects, whereas the inhomogeneous contribution is approximately 100 Hz. The inhomogeneous line broadening is assigned to macroscopic inhomogeneities in the sample and not to variations in the nucleotide bases along the RNA strand in TMV. It is concluded that sample preparation is of vital importance for obtaining well-resolved spectra. Under optimal preparation techniques the isotropic values of the chemical shift of the different ³¹P sites have been determined to obtain information about the secondary structure of the viral RNA. The chemical shift anisotropy has been determined from the relative intensities of the spinning side bands in the spectra. The chemical shift information is used to make a tentative assignment of the resonance in terms of the three structurally distinguishable phosphate groups in TMV. The origin of the linewidths in MAS NMR has been examined further by ¹³C NMR of approximately 10% ¹³C-enriched coat protein of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus, using selective excitation and saturation techniques, as well as measurements of the relaxation times T_1γ and T₂. The CO resonance in the spectrum is composed of an inhomogeneous and homogeneous part with a total linewidth of 700 Hz. The homogeneous linewidth, contributing with 200 Hz, is found to arise from slow molecular motions in the solid on a millisecond timescale.     

Fluorine-19 Solid-State NMR Magic-Angle-Turning Experiments Using Multiple-Pulse Homonuclear Decoupling

For compounds giving “crowded” 1-dimensional magic-angle-spinning spectra, information about the local atomic environment in the form of the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) is sacrificed for high resolution of the less informative isotropic chemical shift. Magic-angle-turning (MAT) NMR pulse sequences preserve the CSA information by correlating it to the isotropic chemical shift in a 2-dimensional experiment. For low natural abundance nuclei such as ¹³C and ¹⁵N and under ¹H heteronuclear dipolar decoupling conditions, the dominant NMR interaction is the chemical shift. For abundant nuclei such as ¹H, ¹⁹F, and ³¹P, the homonuclear dipolar interaction becomes a significant contribution to the observed linewidth in both F₁ and F₂ dimensions. We incorporate MREV8 homonuclear multiple-pulse decoupling sequences into the MAT experiment to give a multiple-pulse MAT (MP-MAT) experiment in which the homonuclear dipolar interaction is suppressed while maintaining the chemical shift information. Extensive use of computer simulation using GAMMA has guided the pulse sequence development. In particular, we show how the MREV8 pulses can be incorporated into a quadrature-detected sequence such as MAT. The MP-MAT technique is demonstrated for a model two-site system containing a mixture of silver trifluoroacetate and calcium difluoride. The resolution in the isotropic evolution dimension is improved by faster sample spinning, shorter MREV8 cycle times in the evolution dimension, and modifications of the MAT component of the pulse sequence.     

A low-E magic angle spinning probe for biological solid state NMR at 750 MHz

Crossed-coil NMR probes are a useful tool for reducing sample heating for biological solid state NMR. In a crossed-coil probe, the higher frequency ¹H field, which is the primary source of sample heating in conventional probes, is produced by a separate low-inductance resonator. Because a smaller driving voltage is required, the electric field across the sample and the resultant heating is reduced. In this work we describe the development of a magic angle spinning (MAS) solid state NMR probe utilizing a dual resonator. This dual resonator approach, referred to as “low-E,” was originally developed to reduce heating in samples of mechanically aligned membranes. The study of inherently dilute systems, such as proteins in lipid bilayers, via MAS techniques requires large sample volumes at high field to obtain spectra with adequate signal-to-noise ratio under physiologically relevant conditions. With the low-E approach, we are able to obtain homogeneous and sufficiently strong radiofrequency fields for both ¹H and ¹³C frequencies in a 4 mm probe with a ¹H frequency of 750 MHz. The performance of the probe using windowless dipolar recoupling sequences is demonstrated on model compounds as well as membrane-embedded peptides.     

Dynamic nuclear polarization at 9T using a novel 250 GHz gyrotron microwave source. 2003

In this communication, we report enhancements of nuclear spin polarization by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) in static and spinning solids at a magnetic field strength of 9 T (250 GHz for g = 2 electrons, 380 MHz for ¹H). In these experiments, ¹H enhancements of up to 170 ± 50 have been observed in 1-¹³C-glycine dispersed in a 60:40 glycerol/water matrix at temperatures of 20 K; in addition, we have observed significant enhancements in ¹⁵N spectra of unoriented pf1-bacteriophage. Finally, enhancements of ∼17 have been obtained in two-dimensional ¹³C–¹³C chemical shift correlation spectra of the amino acid U–¹³C, ¹⁵N-proline during magic angle spinning (MAS), demonstrating the stability of the DNP experiment for sustained acquisition and for quantitative experiments incorporating dipolar recoupling. In all cases, we have exploited the thermal mixing DNP mechanism with the nitroxide radical 4-amino-TEMPO as the paramagnetic dopant. These are the highest frequency DNP experiments performed to date and indicate that significant signal enhancements can be realized using the thermal mixing mechanism even at elevated magnetic fields. In large measure, this is due to the high microwave power output of the 250 GHz gyrotron oscillator used in these experiments.     

Broad-band homo-nuclear correlations assisted by 1H irradiation for bio-molecules in very high magnetic field at fast and ultra-fast MAS frequencies

We propose a new broadband second-order proton-assisted ¹³C–¹³C correlation experiment, SHANGHAI. The ¹³C–¹³C magnetization transfer is promoted by ¹H irradiation with interspersed four phases super-cycling. This through-space homo-nuclear sequence only irradiates on the proton channel during the mixing time. SHANGHAI benefits from a large number of modulation sidebands, hence leading to a large robustness with respect to chemical shift differences, which permits its use in a broad MAS frequency range. At ultra-fast MAS (ν_R ? 60 kHz), SHANGHAI is only efficient when the amplitude of ¹H recoupling rf-field is close to half the spinning speed (ν₁ ≈ ν_R/2). However, at moderate to fast MAS (ν_R = 20–35 kHz), SHANGHAI is efficient at any rf-power level larger than ν₁ ≈ 10 kHz, which simultaneously permits avoiding excessive heating of bio-molecules, and using large sample volumes. We show that SHANGHAI can be employed at the very high magnetic field of 23.5 T and then allows the observation of correlation between ¹³C nuclei, even if their resonance frequencies differ by more than 38 kHz.     

Magic angle spinning NMR on single crystals as a new aid in characterizing phase transitions: application to squaric acid

Accurate measurement of δ_ISO, the isotropic part of the NMR chemical shift tensor, is usually difficult for solids. This study suggests that the technique of magic angle sample spinning (MAS), employing single crystals, might be suitable for this purpose. In our ¹³C CP(cross polarization)/MAS measurements on squaric acid (H₂C₄O₄), single crystals yielded about five-fold narrower line widths than powder samples. The resolution enhancement thus obtained enabled us to measure δ_ISO for all four carbons of squaric acid, and to show that the average O-H distance can serve as an order parameter for the phase transition at 373 K. Additionally, the ¹³C δ_ISO data suggest that the transition mechanism involves a significant displacive component, in addition to the known order-disorder behavior, thus demonstrating the high potential of the single crystal MAS-NMR methodology for studying the microscopic mechanism of phase transitions.     

Fast magic-angle sample spinning solid-state NMR at 60–100 kHz for natural abundance samples

In spite of tremendous progress made in pulse sequence designs and sophisticated hardware developments, methods to improve sensitivity and resolution in solid-state NMR (ssNMR) are still emerging. The rate at which sample is spun at magic angle determines the extent to which sensitivity and resolution of NMR spectra are improved. To this end, the prime objective of this article is to give a comprehensive theoretical and experimental framework of fast magic angle spinning (MAS) technique. The engineering design of fast MAS rotors based on spinning rate, sample volume, and sensitivity is presented in detail. Besides, the benefits of fast MAS citing the recent progress in methodology, especially for natural abundance samples are also highlighted. The effect of the MAS rate on ¹H resolution, which is a key to the success of the ¹H inverse detection methods, is described by a simple mathematical factor named as the homogeneity factor k. A comparison between various ¹H inverse detection methods is also presented. Moreover, methods to reduce the number of spinning sidebands (SSBs) for the systems with huge anisotropies in combination with ¹H inverse detection at fast MAS are discussed.     

High resolution off-magic-angle spinning NMR for cholesteric liquid crystals

High resolution NMR of cholesteric liquid crystals is realized by off-magic-angle spinning (OMAS). Using the average potential theory, it is shown that the pitch axes of a cholesteric liquid crystal with a positive (negative) magnetic susceptibility anisotropy are aligned along the spinning axis with an OMAS angle larger (smaller) than the magic angle without any distortion of the helical structure, which is untwisted or distorted by the static magnetic field in some static samples. Hence, the line broadening due to the anisotropies of chemical shifts and/or quadrupole couplings is removed, while information of the anisotropies in cholesteric alignments can be obtained from the line positions. A detailed theoretical analysis of effects of spinning frequency and molecular diffusion along the pitch axis on the linewidth is given, predicting that the resolution is improved greatly at a spinning frequency much higher than the rotational diffusion coefficient. These theoretical results are verified by ¹³C OMAS experiments on a cholesteric liquid crystal of p-ethoxybenzyl-p-[(S)-2- methylbutyl]aniline (EBMBA) and cholesteric mixtures of p-methoxybenzylidene-p-n-butylaniline (MBBA) and cholesteryl chloride (CC).     

Isotope shift and HFS ofD 1 lines in Na-22 and 23 measured by saturation spectroscopy

High resolution saturation spectroscopy was applied to measure the relative isotope shift of theD ₁ lines in radioactive²²Na against²³Na in vapour cells. The result,δν=758.5(7) MHz, combined with other known values, indicates that the field shift is negligible in sodium isotopes. The hyperfine coupling constant of the² P _1/2 level in²²Na was found to be 37.0(1) MHz. A frequency offset locking technique is described which renders an accurate frequency calibration and achieves a long-term frequency stabilization.     

A High-Precision Carbon-13 Shift Thermometer for the Temperature Range 100–300 K

The first carbon-13 shift thermometer for the temperature range of 100–300 K is based on the very rapid equilibration of a pair of semibullvalene valence tautomers. The temperature dependence of the equilibrium constant is reflected in strongly temperature-dependent shift differences Δδ between averaged signals, e.g.,d(Δδ)/dT= 0.051 ppm K⁻¹at 300, 0.087 ppm K⁻¹at 200, and 0.175 ppm K⁻¹at 110 K for the quaternary carbon atoms C2 and C6. At 37 temperaturesT, which were measured with calibrated platinum resistance thermometers, shift differences Δδ were taken from nondecoupled carbon-13 spectra recorded from solutions of 1 in mixtures of chlorodifluoromethane and deuterated dimethyl ether without spinning. The least-squares fit of these Δδ vsTdata to a polynomial equation of the fourth degree (Eq. [5],r²= 0.9999) allows the calculation of temperatures from measured shift differences with a standard deviation of 0.46 K and an estimated error of about 1 K. The heating effects of WALTZ-16 decoupling and the influence of solvents on Δδ are investigated. A comparison with existing NMR thermometers demonstrates the superior performance of the new carbon-13 shift thermometer with respect to precision and the accessible temperature range.     

15N chemical shift referencing in solid state NMR

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy has much advanced during the last decade and provides a multitude of data that can be used for high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules, polymers, inorganic compounds or macromolecules. In some cases the chemical shift referencing has become a limiting factor to the precision of the structure calculations and we have therefore evaluated a number of methods used in proton-decoupled ¹⁵N solid-state NMR spectroscopy. For ¹³C solid-state NMR spectroscopy adamantane is generally accepted as an external standard, but to calibrate the ¹⁵N chemical shift scale several standards are in use. As a consequence the published chemical shift values exhibit considerable differences (up to 22 ppm). In this paper we report the ¹⁵N chemical shift of several commonly used references compounds in order to allow for comparison and recalibration of published data and future work. We show that ¹⁵NH₄Cl in its powdered form (at 39.3 ppm with respect to liquid NH₃) is a suitable external reference as it produces narrow lines when compared to other reference compounds and at the same time allows for the set-up of cross-polarization NMR experiments. The compound is suitable to calibrate magic angle spinning and static NMR experiments. Finally the temperature variation of ¹⁵NH₄Cl chemical shift is reported.     

Temperature calibration for high-temperature MAS NMR to 913 K: 63Cu MAS NMR of CuBr and CuI, and 23Na MAS NMR of NaNbO3

The solid-state phase transitions of CuBr, CuI and NaNbO₃ can be readily observed using ⁶³Cu and ²³Na high-temperature magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Temperature has large, linear effects on the peak maximum of ⁶³Cu in each solid phase of CuBr and CuI, and there is large jump in shift across each phase transition. The ²³Na MAS NMR peak intensities and the line widths in NaNbO₃ also clearly show its high-temperature transition to the cubic phase. These data can be used to calibrate high-temperature MAS NMR probes up to 913 K, which is two hundred degrees higher than the commonly-used temperature calibration based on the chemical shift of ²⁰⁷Pb in Pb(NO₃)₂.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF AC ZEEMAN EFFECT IN 87Rb ATOMIC FREQUENCY STANDARD

We have proved experimentally that the frequency shift formula of AC Zeeman effect presented by us is correct. In a ⁸⁷Rb atomic frequency standard we add a new microwave field which causes the frequency shift of O-O transition frequency of ⁸⁷Rb atomic ground state. This frequency shift as a function of frequency and power of the added microwave field is measured. The experimental results agree with theory.     

Chemisorption and surfaces studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

This paper presents an introduction to the study of surfaces and chemically adsorbed species with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The analysis is based on nuclear magnetic interactions in the solid state: dipole-dipole couplings, chemical shift anisotropy, Knight shifts, and quadrupolar splitting. The physical origins and characteristics of each interaction, as well as relative intensities for different nuclei, are discussed. In particular, emphasis is placed on the relation of these interactions to quantities of interest to studies in adsorption and catalysis: motional properties of the adsorbate, the distribution of adsorption sites, the chemical state of atoms adsorbed at the surface, electrostatic field gradients, and the metallic character of surface atoms. Techniques to observe these interactions are described; subdivided by the type of nucleus: strongly coupled nuclei (e.g. ¹H, ¹⁹F), weakly coupled nuclei (e.g. ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ²⁹Si, ¹⁹⁵Pt), and quadrupolar nuclei (e.g. ²H, ¹⁴N, ²⁷Al). The techniques described to isolate and identify the overlapping effects in the spectra include multiple-pulse spin echoing and decoupling, double-resonance irradiation, multiple-quantum excitation, and mechanical sample spinning. A review of the recent application of these techniques to studies of adsorption and surfaces illustrates the potentials and limitations. Finally, a procedure for formulating a NMR study of surface samples is proposed, with respect to sample composition and character, and the type of information desired.     

Dipole-dipole coupling in the N2 overlayer on Ni(110)

We have studied the infrared spectrum of an isotopically mixed ¹⁵N₂/¹⁴N₂ overlayer on Ni(110) as a function of percent ¹⁴N₂ at a constant overall N₂ coverage. The results reveal that a large dipole coupling shift is almost completely cancelled by a large chemical shift of opposite sign resulting in a net small frequency shift with coverage in the isotopically pure overlayer. The spectra are also characterized by strong intensity borrowing from the low frequencv band to the high frequency band and by a strong dependence of linewidth on fraction of ¹⁴N₂.     

Proton-detected scalar coupling based assignment strategies in MAS solid-state NMR spectroscopy applied to perdeuterated proteins

Assignment of proteins in MAS (magic angle spinning) solid-state NMR relies so far on correlations among heteronuclei. This strategy is based on well dispersed resonances in the ¹⁵N dimension. In many complex cases like membrane proteins or amyloid fibrils, an additional frequency dimension is desirable in order to spread the amide resonances. We show here that proton detected HNCO, HNCA, and HNCACB type experiments can successfully be implemented in the solid-state. Coherences are sufficiently long lived to allow pulse schemes of a duration greater than 70 ms before incrementation of the first indirect dimension. The achieved resolution is comparable to the resolution obtained in solution-state NMR experiments. We demonstrate the experiments using a triply labeled sample of the SH3 domain of chicken α-spectrin, which was re-crystallized in H₂O/D₂O using a ratio of 1/9. We employ paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) using EDTA chelated Cu^II to enable rapid data acquisition.     

Ionic liquids based on the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion for high‐pressure Raman spectroscopy measurements

Assembling a diamond anvil cell for high‐pressure measurements involves placing in a gasket hole the sample of interest, a pressure transmitting fluid, and a material for pressure calibration. In this communication, we propose the use of ionic liquids containing the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion ([Tf₂N]^‐), [(CF₃SO₂)₂ N]^‐, as a simultaneous pressure transmitting and calibrant material for high‐pressure Raman spectroscopy measurements of solid samples that are not soluble in ionic liquids. The position of the characteristic Raman band of the [Tf₂N]^‐ anion at 740 cm⁻¹ exhibits linear frequency shift for pressures up to 2.5 GPa. High‐pressure Raman spectra of different ionic liquids containing the same anion indicate that the actual magnitude of the pressure‐induced frequency shift of the [Tf₂N]^‐ normal mode depends on the counterion, the typical shift being 4.2 cm⁻¹/GPa. Ionic liquids based on the [Tf₂N]^‐ anion are also good pressure transmitting mediums because hydrostatic condition is kept at high pressure, and no crystallization is observed up to 4.0 GPa. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.