CP/MAS (13)C NMR study of cellulose and cellulose derivatives. 1. Complete assignment of the CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectrum of the native cellulose

The precise assignments of cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) (13)C NMR spectra of cellulose I(alpha) and I(beta) were performed by using (13)C labeled cellulose biosynthesized by Acetobacter xylinum (A. xylinum) ATCC10245 strain from culture medium containing D-[1,3-(13)C]glycerol or D-[2-(13)C]glucose as a carbon source. On the CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectrum of cellulose from D-[1,3-(13)C]glycerol, the introduced (13)C labeling were observed at C1, C3, C4, and C6 of the biosynthesized cellulose. In the case of cellulose biosynthesized from D-[2-(13)C]glucose, the transitions of (13)C labeling to C1, C3, and C5 from C2 were observed. With the quantitative analysis of the (13)C transition ratio and comparing the CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectrum of the Cladophora cellulose with those of the (13)C labeled celluloses, the assignments of the cluster of resonances which belong to C2, C3, and C5 of cellulose, which have not been assigned before, were performed. As a result, all carbons of cellulose I(alpha) and I(beta) except for C1 and C6 of cellulose I(alpha) and C2 of cellulose I(beta) were shown in equal intensity of doublet in the CP/MAS spectrum of the native cellulose, which suggests that two inequivalent glucopyranose residues were contained in the unit cells of both cellulose I(alpha) and I(beta) allomorphs.     

Line shapes in CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectra of cellulose I

The CP/MAS (13)C NMR line shape of cellulose I has been qualitatively analyzed by direct simulations using the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck stochastic process and the Kubo model. Both approaches describe a anhydroglucose C4 carbon as a oscillator with fluctuating Larmor frequency. The NMR resonance frequency is written omega=omega +omega(t), where the fluctuating part with zero mean was modelled as a stationary Markov diffusion process. The simulation results both motivates the use of multiple line shapes when fitting CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectra recorded on cellulose I and gives some insights into why signals from crystalline cellulose I give rise to Lorentzian line shapes.     

CPMAS 13C NMR and X-ray studies of cellooligosaccharide acetates as a model for cellulose triacetate

A series of crystalline oligomers from α-D -cellobiose octaacetate through α-D -cellohexaose eicosaacetate were prepared by homogeneous acetylation of the corresponding cellooligosaccharides and characterized by cross-polarization and magic angle sample spinning (CPMAS) carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR) spectroscopy and X-ray analysis to obtain the structural models of cellulose triacetate (CTA) in the solid state. Progressing toward the hexamer, the NMR spectral features of the oligomers, in comparison with two allomorphs of CTA I and CTA II, gradually approached those of CTA I. Specifically, chemical shifts of both the hexamer and pentamer were in agreement with those of CTA I. In addition, X-ray diffraction patterns of the oligomers established that the crystalline pentamer and hexamer had a CTA I lattice despite recrystallization from ethylacetate-n-hexane. Therefore, we conclude that the pentamer and hexamer are useful models for the CTA I structure. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4100–4107, 1999     

Regenerated cellulose film with enhanced tensile strength prepared with ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc)

In this study, environmentally friendly regenerated cellulose films with enhanced tensile strength were successfully prepared by incorporation of plasticizer agents using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate as solvent. The results of morphology from scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy showed that cellulose films possessed homogeneously, and exhibited smooth structure. ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectra showed that the regenerated cellulose films were transferred from cellulose I to cellulose II. Moreover, the incorporation of plasticizer agents, especially in the presence of glycerol, significantly improved the tensile strength of cellulose film (143 MPa) as compared to the controlled sample. The notable properties of the regenerated cellulose films are promising for applications in transparent packaging.     

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.     

Structural studies of bacterial cellulose through the solid-phase nitration and acetylation by CP/MAS <Superscript>13</Superscript>C NMR spectroscopy

The solid-phase nitration and acetylation processes of bacterial cellulose have been investigated mainly by CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy to clarify the features of these reactions in relation to the characterization of the disordered component included in the microfibrils. CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectra of bacterial and Valonia cellulose samples are markedly changed as the nitration progresses, in a similar way to the case of cotton linters previously reported; and the relative reactivity of the OH groups in the glucose residues is found to decrease in the order of O(6)H>O(2)H>O(3)H. Moreover, the nitration rate and mode greatly depend on the concentration of nitric acid in the reaction media. At dilute and medium concentrations, the O(6)H groups in the crystalline and disordered components are subjected to nitration at nearly the same rate, indicating that these two components are distributed almost at random in the entire region of each microfibril. The preferential penetration of nitric acid into each microfibril also occurs prior to nitration at the medium concentration, resulting in an increase in the mole fraction of the disordered component. In contrast, all OH groups undergo nitration very rapidly at the higher concentration, although nitration levels off to a certain extent for O(3)H groups. In solid-phase acetylation, no regio-selective reactivity is observed among the three kinds of OH groups, which may be due to the characteristic reaction that proceeds in a very thin layer between the acetylated and nonacetylated regions in each microfibril. The almost random distribution of the disordered component in the entire region of the microfibrils is also confirmed in this solid-phase acetylation. On the basis of these results, the mechanism of the solid-phase reactions and the microfibril structure are discussed.     

Oligosaccharide Analogues of Polysaccharides. Part 26

The anthraquinone derivatives T‐x‐x ( x = 2, 4, and 8), possessing two cellobiosyl, cellotetraosyl, and cellooctaosyl chains, respectively, C‐glycosidically bonded at C(1) and C(8) were synthesised as potential mimics of cellulose I. The anthraquinone template enforces a parallel orientation of the cellodextrin chains at a distance corresponding to the one between the crystallographically independent chains of cellulose I, and the ethynyl and buta‐1,3‐diynyl linker units ensure an appropriate phase shift between them. The H‐bonding of the T‐x‐x mimics was analysed and compared to the one of the mono‐chained analogues T‐x and of the known cellulose II mimics N‐x‐x and N‐x where one or two cellodextrin chains are O‐glycosidically bonded to naphthalene‐1,8‐diethanol, or to naphthalene‐1‐ethanol. The OH signals of T‐x and T‐x‐x in solution in (D₆)DMSO were assigned on the basis of DQFCOSY, HSQC, and TOCSY (only of T‐4, T‐4‐4 , and T‐8‐8 ) spectra and on a comparison with the spectra of N‐x and N‐x‐x. Hydrogen bonding was analysed on the basis of the chemical shift of OH groups and its temperature dependence, coupling constants, SIMPLE ¹H‐NMR experiments, and ROESY spectra. T‐4‐4 and T‐8‐8 in (D₆)DMSO appear to adopt a V‐shape arrangement of the cellosyl chains, avoiding inter‐chain H‐bond interactions. The well‐resolved solid‐state CP/MAS ¹³C‐NMR spectra of the mono‐chained T‐x ( x = 1, 2, 4, and 8) show that only T‐8 is a close mimic of cellulose II. While the solid‐state CP/MAS ¹³C‐NMR spectrum of the C₁‐symmetric diglucoside T‐1‐1 is well‐resolved, the spectra of T‐2‐2 and T‐4‐4 show broad signals, and that of T‐8‐8 is rather well resolved. The spectrum of T‐8‐8 resembles that of cellulose I_β. A comparison of the X‐ray powder‐diffraction spectra of T‐8‐8 and T‐8 with those of celluloses confirms that T‐8‐8 is a H‐bond mimic of cellulose I and T‐8 one of cellulose II. Surprisingly, there is little difference between the CP/MAS ¹³C‐NMR spectra of the acetyl protected mono‐chained C‐glycosylated anthraquinone derivatives A‐x and the double‐chained A‐x‐x ( x = 2, 4, and 8). The spectra of A‐4 and A‐4‐4 resemble strongly the one of cellulose triacetate I ( CTA I ). The (less well‐resolved) spectra of the cellooctaosides A‐8 and A‐8‐8 , however, resemble the one of CTA II . The similarity between the solid‐state CP/MAS ¹³C‐NMR spectra of A‐4 and A‐4‐4 to the one of CTA I , and of A‐8 and A‐8‐8 to the one of CTA II is opposite to the observations in the acetylated cellodextrin series. The mono‐chained A‐x cellulose triacetate mimics 21 ( A‐2 ), 32 ( A‐4 ), and 55 ( A‐8 ) were synthesised by Sonogashira coupling of the cellooligosyl‐ethynes 15, 28 , and 50 , followed by selective deacetylation. Complete deacetylation provided the corresponding T‐x mimics. The double‐chained A‐x‐x mimics 24 ( A‐2‐2 ), 35 ( A‐4‐4 ), and 58 ( A‐8‐8 ) were prepared from A‐x by triflation and Sonogashira coupling with the cellosyl‐buta‐1,3‐diynes 19, 31 , and 53 . Their deacetylation provided the corresponding T‐x‐x mimics 25, 36 , and 59 . The cellooligosyl‐ethynes and cellooligosyl‐buta‐1,3‐diynes required for the Sonogashira coupling were prepared by stepwise glycosylation of the partially O‐benzylated β‐cellobiosyl‐ethyne and β‐cellobiosyl‐buta‐1,3‐diyne 13 and 17 , respectively, with the cellobiosyl donor 2 and the cellohexaosyl donor 47 .     

Suitability of Different 13C Solid-state NMR Techniques in the Characterization of Humic Acids

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of humic acids (HAs) with five different ¹³C solid-state NMR techniques were assessed using HAs of various origins and locations. The NMR techniques compared are: (1) direct polarization/magic angle spinning (DP/MAS) at 13 kHz, (2) conventional cross polarization (CP)/MAS at 5 kHz, (3) ramp-CP/MAS at 8 kHz, (4) CP/total sideband suppression (TOSS) at 4.5 kHz, and (5) DP/MAS corrected by CP/spin-lattice relaxation with TOSS. The spectra from the five techniques were first compared qualitatively. Then, each spectrum was divided into eight regions for quantitative evaluation. DP/MAS spectra were used as quantitative references. Ramp-CP/MAS and CP/TOSS spectra gave consistently better results than those of the conventional CP/MAS spectra at a ¹³C frequency of 75 MHz, which were incorrect due to spinning sidebands. CP/MAS at low magnetic fields (22.6 and 50.6 MHz ¹³C frequency) indicated improved integration results but lower resolution. Correction factors calculated by comparison with DP/MAS will be useful to convert the non-quantitative peak areas in the CP/TOSS and ramp-CP/MAS spectra into more quantitative results.     

Solid-state 93Nb and 13C NMR investigations of half-sandwich niobium(I) and niobium(V) cyclopentadienyl complexes

Solid-state 93Nb and 13C NMR experiments, in combination with theoretical calculations of NMR tensors, and single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction experiments, are applied for the comprehensive characterization of structure and dynamics in a series of organometallic niobium complexes. Half-sandwich niobium metallocenes of the forms Cp'Nb(I)(CO)4 and CpNb(V)Cl4 are investigated, where Cp = C5H5- and Cp' = C5H4R- with R = COMe, CO2Me, CO2Et, and COCH2Ph. Anisotropic quadrupolar and chemical shielding (CS) parameters are extracted from 93Nb MAS and static NMR spectra for seven different complexes. It is demonstrated that 93Nb NMR parameters are sensitive to changes in temperature and Cp' ring substitution in the Cp'Nb(I)(CO)4 complexes. There are dramatic differences in the 93Nb quadrupolar coupling constants (C(Q)) between the Nb(I) and Nb(V) complexes, with C(Q) between 1.0 and 12.0 MHz for Cp'Nb(CO)4 and C(Q) = 54.5 MHz for CpNbCl4. The quadrupolar Carr-Purcell Meiboom-Gill (QCPMG) pulse sequence is applied to rapidly acquire, in a piecewise fashion, a high signal-to-noise ultra-wide-line 93Nb NMR spectrum of CpNbCl4, which has a breadth of ca. 400 kHz. Solid-state 93Nb and 13C NMR spectra and powder XRD data are used to identify a new metallocene adduct coordinated at the axial position of the metal site by a THF molecule: CpNb(V)Cl4.THF. 13C MAS and CP/MAS NMR experiments are used to assess the purity of samples, as well as for measuring carbon CS tensors and the rare instance of one-bond 93Nb, 13C J-coupling, 1J(93Nb,13C). Theoretically calculated CS and electric field gradient (EFG) tensors are utilized to determine relationships between tensor orientations, the principal components, and molecular structures.     

High-resolution magic-angle spinning (13)C spectroscopy of brain tissue at natural abundance

High-resolution magic-angle spinning (MAS) (1)H and (13)C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has recently been applied to study the metabolism in intact biological tissue samples. Because of the low natural abundance and the low gyromagnetic ratio of the (13)C nuclei, signal enhancement techniques such as cross-polarization (CP) and distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT) are often employed in MAS (13)C MRS to improve the detection sensitivity. In this study, several sensitivity enhancement techniques commonly used in liquid- and solid-state NMR, including CP, DEPT and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE), were combined with MAS to acquire high-resolution (13)C spectra on intact rat brain tissue at natural abundance, and were compared for their performances. The results showed that different signal enhancement techniques are sensitive to different classes of molecules/metabolites, depending on their molecular weights and mobility. DEPT was found to enhance the signals of low-molecular weight metabolites exclusively, while the signals of lipids, which often are associated with membranes and have relatively lower mobility, were highly sensitive to CP enhancement.     

13C-NMR study of cellulose derivatives in the solid state

The application of NMR for natural organic compounds has been carried out from the early history of NMR. But they reported on the liquid state NMR and the samples were limited to the materials which dissolved in proper solvents. It has been possible to measure the samples in the solid state in 1970s and is widely used as a familiar analytical method in 1980s. Whereas some of the data is inadequate, concerning cellulose derivatives, in particular, only nitrate and acetate were reported by Patterson¹ and Doyle,² respectively. In this paper, the ¹³C CP/MAS solid state NMR spectra of several cellulose derivatives are shown and the relationship between the structure and spectrum is discussed.     

One-pot preparation of hydrophobic cellulose nanocrystals in an ionic liquid

The facile one-pot preparation of hydrophobic cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from wood pulpboard in an ionic liquid is reported in the present paper. This process employed a so-called amorphous cellulose solvent system capable of dissolving the majority of the amorphous regions in cellulose while maintaining the crystalline domains essentially intact, and consisting of tetrabutylammonium acetate with dimethylacetamide. These solvents were mixed at a mass ratio of 1:9 in conjunction with acetic anhydride to prepare CNCs via surface acetylation. The rod-like morphology and nanometer-scale dimensions of the resulting CNCs were ascertained by atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Successful surface acetylation while maintaining an intact crystalline core was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, ¹³C CP/MAS NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in addition to X-ray diffraction. Finally, the thermal stability and hydrophobic behavior of the hydrophobic CNCs were characterized using thermal gravimetric analysis and water contact-angle measurements, respectively.     

Spectral assignments and anisotropy data of cellulose I(alpha): 13C-NMR chemical shift data of cellulose I(alpha) determined by INADEQUATE and RAI techniques applied to uniformly 13C-labeled bacterial celluloses of different Gluconacetobacter xylinus strains

Solid-state (13)C-NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize native cellulose pellicles from two strains of Gluconacetobacter xylinus (ATCC 53582, ATCC 23769), which had been statically cultivated in Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium containing fully (13)C-labeled beta-D-glucose-U-(13)C(6) as the sole source of carbon. For both samples, the (13)C-NMR chemical shifts were completely assigned for each (13)C-labeled site of cellulose I(alpha) with the aid of 2D refocused INADEQUATE NMR. To determine the principal chemical shift tensor components, a pulse sequence based on the recoupling of anisotropy information (RAI) was applied at 10 kHz MAS. The detailed (13)C tensors of cellulose I(alpha) from different bacterial celluloses are thus available now for the first time, and these results have been compared with previously published data of nonenriched material and with theoretical predictions.     

CP/MAS 13C-NMR技术对桉木浆纤维素微观结构的研究

利用交叉极化结合魔角旋转技术13C 核磁共振法(CP/MAS ¹³C 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.     

Quantification of cellulose forms in complex cellulose materials: a chemometric model

In this paper, we present a chemometric model for quantifying the cellulose forms with different states of order found within cellulose I fibrils. The relative amounts of the different cellulose forms, that is crystalline cellulose I, para-crystalline cellulose and cellulose at accessible and inaccessible cellulose surfaces, were determined by non-linear least squares fitting of the C4-region in CP/MAS ¹³C-NMR (Cross-Polarisation Magic Angle Spinning Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectra. By correlating these results from the C4-region with the full spectral data we obtained a model which is able to provide an assessment of the relative amounts of the different cellulose forms directly from NMR-spectra of complex lignocellulosic samples. Furthermore, this model enabled new assignments to be made in the C1-region for signals from cellulose at accessible fibril surfaces.     

Lamellar structure in poly(ala-gly) determined by solid-state NMR and statistical mechanical calculations

Lamellar structure of poly(Ala-Gly) or (AG)n in the solid was examined using 13C solid-state NMR and statistical mechanical approaches. Two doubly labeled versions, [1-13C]Gly14[1-13C]Ala15- and [1-13C]Gly18[1-13C]Ala19 of (AG)15 were examined by two-dimensional (2D) 13C spin diffusion NMR in the solid state. In addition five doubly labeled [15N,13C]-versions of the same peptide, (AG) 15 and 15 versions labeled [3-13C] in each of the successive Ala residues were utilized for REDOR and 13C CP/MAS NMR measurements, respectively. The observed spin diffusion NMR spectra were consistent with a structure containing a combination of distorted beta-turns with a large distribution of the torsion angles and antiparallel beta-sheets. The relative proportion of the distorted beta-turn form was evaluated by examination of 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra of [3-13C]Ala-(AG)15. In addition, REDOR determinations showed five kinds of atomic distances between doubly labeled 13C and 15N nuclei which were also interpreted in terms of a combination of beta-sheets and beta-turns. Our statistical mechanical analysis is in excellent agreement with our Ala Cbeta 13C CP/MAS NMR data strongly suggesting that (AG)15 has a lamellar structure.     

Structural and dynamical studies of poly(vinyl alcohol) gels by high-resolution solid-state C NMR spectroscopy

The ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectra of isotactic, syndiotactic and atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) gels were measured in order to clarify the structure of the immobile component of PVA gel. In the ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectra, the three CH carbon peaks I, II and III (at about 77, 71 and 65 ppm) were clearly observed, which originate from the formation of strong intermolecular or intramolecular hydrogen bonds between hydroxyl groups like solid PVA. It has been assigned that these peaks originate from the crosslinked region in the gel state. On the basis of the experimental results, intermolecular hydrogen bonds play an important role in the formation of the crosslinked-region in the gel state. Further, the effect of PVA's tacticity on the amount of the crosslinked regions by intermolecular interactions was discussed. In addition, molecular motion in the immobile and mobile region of PVA gel was discussed through the observation of ¹³C spin-lattice relaxation time T₁.     

温敏性纤维素/聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺复合水凝胶的固体核磁共振表征及动力学研究

利用半互穿网络方法将具有温度响应的高分子聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAM)与天然纤维素复合得到温敏性水凝胶. 通过固体核磁共振的 ¹H, ¹³C CP/MAS(交叉极化/魔角旋转)和QCP(定量交叉极化)等实验手段对复合凝胶的结构进行了定性及定量研究, 并利用固体静态变温核磁共振实验和偶极滤波-自旋扩散实验研究了复合凝胶中PNIPAM分子链段的动力学行为.     

Application of biosynthetic 13C-enrichment using [1-13C]-, [2-13C]- and [1,2-13C2]-acetate as precursor for 13C NMR spectral assignment of higher plant metabolites. The assignments of some bryonolic acid derivatives

The ¹³C NMR spectra of some derivatives of bryonolic acid (1) (D:C-friedoolean-8-en-3β-ol-29-oic acid) were assigned by means of ¹³C-enrichment, lanthanide-induced shifts (LIS) and comparison of chemical shift data between derivatives. The ¹³C-enriched species of 1, i.e., 1a, 1b and 1c were biosynthesized by Luffa cylindrica (Cucurbitaceae) callus fed with [1-¹³C]-, [2-¹³C]- or [1,2-¹³C₂]-acetate, respectively. Methyl acetylbryonolates 2, 2a, 2b and 2c, methyl bryonolates 3, 3a, 3b and 3c, methyl bryononates 4 and 4a, diacetyl-3β,29-diols (3,29-diacetyl-D:C-friedoolean-8-en-β,29-diol) 5, 5a, 5b and 5c, and 3-acetyl-3β,29-diols 6, 6a and 6b were prepared from 1, 1a, 1b and 1c, and their ¹³C NMR spectra were recorded. The ¹³C concentration of the ¹³C-enriched species was high enough to exhibit the satellite peaks clearly, and the analysed data were very useful for this study. Thus, total assignments for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were established. It was found that conversion of the methoxycarbonyl group at C-29 into an acetoxymethyl group caused complex changes in the chemical shifts of the C, D- and E-ring carbons and those of the methyl carbons linked to these rings.     

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.