Structure refinement of CsNO3(II) by coupling of 14N MAS NMR experiments with WIEN2k DFT calculations

Electronic structure and optical properties of TaNO: An ab initio study

We performed ab initio calculations to study the structural and optoelectronic properties of simple and slab phase TaNO using density functional theory (DFT), in which the full potential augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method was implemented using the computational code Wien 2k. The modified Becke-Johnson potential (mBJ-GGA) was used for these calculations. The calculated band structure and electronic properties revealed an indirect bandgap for simple TaNO (3.2 eV) and a direct bandgap for slab TaNO (1.5 eV). The interband electronic transitions were investigated from the band structure, and transition peaks were observed from the imaginary part of the dielectric function. These transitions are due to Ta-p, N-p and O-p orbitals for simple TaNO and Ta-p, N-s as well as O-p orbitals for slab TaNO. The plasmon energy was related to the main peak of the energy loss function, which was approximately 10 eV. The static value of the dielectric constant and the refraction were close to the experimental values. In general, slab TaNO shows different properties and is more suitable for optoelectronic applications due to direct bandgap.

14N overtone nuclear magnetic resonance of rotating solids

By irradiating and observing at twice the 14N Larmor frequency, overtone (OT) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is capable of obtaining 14NOT spectra without first-order quadrupolar broadening. Direct excitation and detection of the usually "forbidden" double-quantum transition is mediated by the perturbation from the large quadrupole interaction to the spin states quantized by the Zeeman interaction. A recent study [L. A. O'Dell and C. I. Ratcliffe, Chem. Phys. Lett. 514, 168 (2011)] has shown that 14NOT NMR under magic-angle spinning (MAS) can yield high-resolution spectra with typical second-order quadrupolar line shapes allowing the measurement of 14N chemical shift and quadrupolar coupling parameters. This article has also shown that under MAS the main 14NOT peak is shifted by twice the sample spinning frequency with respect to its static position. We present the theory of 14NOT NMR of static or rotating samples and the physical picture of the intriguing spinning-induced shift in the second case. We use perturbation theory for the case of static samples and Floquet theory for rotating samples. In both cases, the results can be described by a so-called OT parameter that scales down the 14NOT radio-frequency (rf) excitation and signal detection. This OT parameter shows that the components of the rf field, which are transverse and longitudinal with respect to the magnetic field, are both effective for 14NOTrf excitation and signal detection. In the case of MAS at angular frequency ωr , the superposition of the excitation and detection components in the OT parameter makes either the +2ωr or -2ωr term the dominant 14NOT signal, depending on the sense of sample spinning with respect to the magnetic field. This leads to an apparent 14NOT signal shifted at twice the spinning frequency. The features of 14NOT NMR spectra for both static and rotating samples are illustrated with simulations. The spinning induced shift and its dependence on the spinning direction are confirmed experimentally by reversing the spinning direction and the field of the 36 T series-connected hybrid magnet at the US National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

Residual dipolar coupling between quadrupolar nuclei under magic-angle spinning and double-rotation conditions

Residual dipolar couplings between spin-1/2 and quadrupolar nuclei are often observed and exploited in the magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectra of spin-1/2 nuclei. These orientation-dependent splittings contain information on the dipolar interaction, which can be translated into structural information. The same type of splittings may also be observed for pairs of quadrupolar nuclei, although information is often difficult to extract from the quadrupolar-broadened lineshapes. Here, the complete theory for describing the dipolar coupling between two quadrupolar nuclei in the frequency domain by Hamiltonian diagonalization is given. The theory is developed under MAS and double-rotation (DOR) conditions, and is valid for any spin quantum numbers, quadrupolar coupling constants, asymmetry parameters, and tensor orientations at both nuclei. All terms in the dipolar Hamiltonian become partially secular and contribute to the NMR spectrum. The theory is validated using experimental 11B and 35/37Cl NMR experiments carried out on powdered B-chlorocatecholborane, where both MAS and DOR are used to help separate effects of the quadrupolar interaction from those of the dipolar interaction. It is shown that the lineshapes are sensitive to the quadrupolar coupling constant of both nuclei and to the J coupling (including its sign). From these experiments, the dipolar coupling constant for a heteronuclear spin pair of quadrupolar nuclei may be obtained as well as the sign of the quadrupolar coupling constant of the perturbing nucleus; these are two parameters that are difficult to obtain experimentally otherwise.

Experimental aspects in acquisition of wide bandwidth solid-state MAS NMR spectra of low-γ nuclei with different opportunities on two commercial NMR spectrometers

The acquisition and different appearances observed for wide bandwidth solid-state MAS NMR spectra of low-γ nuclei, using (14)N as an illustrative nucleus and employing two different commercial spectrometers (Varian, 14.1T and Bruker, 19.6T), have been compared/evaluated and optimized from an experimental NMR and an electronic engineering point of view, to account for the huge differences in these spectra. The large differences in their spectral appearances, employing the recommended/standard experimental set-up for the two different spectrometers, are shown to be associated with quite large differences in the electronic design of the two types of preamplifiers, which are connected to their respective probes through a 50Ω cable, and are here completely accounted for. This has led to different opportunities for optimum performances in the acquisition of nearly ideal wide bandwidth spectra for low-γ nuclei on the two spectrometers by careful evaluation of the length for the 50Ω probe-to-preamp cable for the Varian system and appropriate changes to the bandwidth (Q) of the NMR probe used on the Bruker spectrometer. Earlier, we reported quite distorted spectra obtained with Varian Unity INOVA spectrometers (at 11.4 and 14.1T) in several exploratory wide bandwidth (14)N MAS NMR studies of inorganic nitrates and amino acids. These spectra have now been compared/evaluated with fully analyzed (14)N MAS spectra correspondingly acquired at 19.6T on a Bruker spectrometer. It is shown that our upgraded version of the STARS simulation/iterative-fitting software is capable of providing identical sets for the molecular spectral parameters and corresponding fits to the experimental spectra, which fully agree with the electronic measurements, despite the highly different appearances for the MAS NMR spectra acquired on the Varian and Bruker spectrometers.

Probing quadrupolar nuclei by solid-state NMR spectroscopy: recent advances

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of quadrupolar nuclei has recently undergone remarkable development of capabilities for obtaining structural and dynamic information at the molecular level. This review summarizes the key achievements attained during the last couple of decades in solid-state NMR of both integer spin and half-integer spin quadrupolar nuclei. We provide a concise description of the first- and second-order quadrupolar interactions, and their effect on the static and magic angle spinning (MAS) spectra. Methods are explained for efficient excitation of single- and multiple-quantum coherences, and acquisition of spectra under low- and high-resolution conditions. Most of all, we present a coherent, comparative description of the high-resolution methods for half-integer quadrupolar nuclei, including double rotation (DOR), dynamic angle spinning (DAS), multiple-quantum magic angle spinning (MQMAS), and satellite transition magic angle spinning (STMAS). Also highlighted are methods for processing and analysis of the spectra. Finally, we review methods for probing the heteronuclear and homonuclear correlations between the quadrupolar nuclei and their quadrupolar or spin-1/2 neighbors.

Inorganic structures in space group P31m; coordinate analysis and systematic prediction of new ferroelectrics

The 62 entries listed in ICSD release 2009/1 under polar space group P31m correspond to 31 families of inorganic crystal structures, some with only one member. Coordinate analysis reveals, over a wide confidence range, 11 of these families as ferroelectric candidates. One includes the well known improper ferroelectric GASH (guanidinium aluminum sulfate hexahydrate), [(C(NH(2))(3))Al(SO(4))(2)(H(2)O)(6)], another the previously predicted ferroelectric CsNO(3) phase II. Those remaining include K(3)Nb(3)B(2)O(12), the minerals schairerite, galeite and lizardite 1T, LaNi(5)D(6) and gamma-CaNi(5)D(6.1), Ca(OCl)(2)Ca(OH)(2), [N(CH(3))(4)](2)Mo(3)S(13), Li(17)Ag(3)Sn(6) and Cs(3)As(5)O(9). Candidate selection is based upon detecting an approach by the reported atomic arrangement to the symmetry of a corresponding nonpolar supergroup. A further 13 families are typified by their reduced predictive properties, with four others likely to remain polar at higher temperatures and the remaining three noted as having a unit cell larger than reported or a misassigned space group. The primary sources of uncertainty in structurally based predictions of ferroelectricity are the reliability of the underlying structural determination and the upper limit assigned to the cationic displacement magnitudes required to achieve supergroup symmetry.

Multinuclear High-Resolution NMR Study of Compounds from the Ternary System NaF−CaF2−AlF3: from Determination to Modeling of NMR Parameters

27Al and 23Na NMR satellite transition spectroscopy and 3Q magic-angle-spinning spectra are recorded for three compounds from the ternary NaF-CaF2-AlF3 system. The quadrupolar frequency nuQ, asymmetry parameter etaQ, and isotropic chemical shift deltaiso are extracted from the spectrum reconstructions for five aluminum and four sodium sites. The quadrupolar parameters are calculated using the LAPW-based ab initio code WIEN2k. It is necessary to perform a structure optimization of all compounds to ensure a fine agreement between experimental and calculated parameters. By a comparison of experimental and calculated values, an attribution of all of the 27Al and 23Na NMR lines to the crystallographic sites is achieved. High-speed 19F NMR MAS spectra are recorded and reconstructed for the same compounds, leading to the determination of 18 isotropic chemical shifts. The superposition model developed by Bureau et al. is used, allowing a bijective assignment of the 19F NMR lines to the crystallographic sites.

First-Principles Calculations within Periodic Boundary Conditions of the NMR Shielding Tensor for a Transition Metal Nucleus in a Solid State System: The Example of 51V in AlVO4

We present the first density functional theory based calculations of NMR shielding parameters for a transition metal nucleus using periodic boundary conditions. These calculations employ the gauge-including projected augmented-wave pseudopotential approach. The quality of this method is discussed by comparing experimental and calculated chemical shift tensor eigenvalues for the quadrupolar 51V nucleus in the diamagnetic solid-state compound AlVO4. Furthermore, the combination of shielding tensor with fast and accurate projector augmented-wave electric field gradient tensor calculations allows us to determine the relative orientation of these two tensors.

Satellite transitions in natural abundance solid-state (33)S MAS NMR of alums--sign change with zero-crossing of C(Q) in a variable temperature study

Experiences obtained from recent improvements in the performance of solid-state (14)N MAS NMR spectroscopy have been used in a natural abundance (33)S MAS NMR investigation of the satellite transitions for this interesting spin I=3/2 isotope. This study reports the first observation of manifolds of spinning sidebands for these transitions in (33)S MAS NMR as observed for the two alums XAl(SO(4))(2) x 12H(2)O with X=NH(4) and K. For the NH(4)-alum a variable temperature (33)S MAS NMR study, employing the satellite transitions, shows that the (33)S quadrupole coupling constant (C(Q)) exhibits a linear temperature dependence (in the range -35 degrees C to 70 degrees C) with a temperature gradient of 3.1 kHz/ degrees C and undergoes a sign change with zero-crossing for C(Q) at 4 degrees C (277 K). For the isostructural K-alum a quite similar increase in the magnitude of C(Q) with increasing temperature is observed, and with a temperature gradient of 2.3 kHz/ degrees C. Finally, for optimization purposes, a study on the effect of the applied pulse widths at constant rf field strength on the intensity and variation in second-order quadrupolar lineshape for the central (1/2<-->-1/2) transition of the K-alum has been performed.

Evaluation of 27Al and 51V Electric Field Gradients and the Crystal Structure for Aluminum Orthovanadate (AlVO4) by Density Functional Theory Calculations

Three sets of crystal-structure data reported for AlVO(4) from two powder-XRD studies and a density functional theory (DFT) investigation, employing the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP), have been examined and refined using the DFT structure-optimization scheme implemented in the WIEN2k software. The crystal structures are evaluated on the basis of (27)Al and (51)V quadrupole coupling parameters recently reported for AlVO(4), employing the corresponding electric-field gradient (EFG) tensor elements obtained from the DFT calculations. The DFT calculations provide a reliable assignment of the (27)Al/(51)V resonances from three distinct Al and three V environments to the specific crystallographic sites in the asymmetric unit for AlVO(4). An improved agreement between experimental quadrupole tensor elements and calculated EFG tensors is achieved after the DFT structure optimizations and consistent results are obtained using the three different structures as starting points. The improvement of the structural data is also supported by an evaluation of the Al-O and V-O bond lengths before and after DFT structure optimization. The (51)V nuclear quadrupole moment, |Q((51)V)| = 4.8 +/- 0.1 fm(2), derived from the present analysis, represents a value of higher accuracy than earlier reported Q((51)V) values. The origin of the (27)Al and (51)V EFGs are investigated by an evaluation of the orientations of the EFG tensors in the crystal frame and by an examination of the individual contributions from the valence electrons and the surrounding lattice. The latter investigation shows that the magnitude and orientation of the tensors are largely determined by the p-p((27)Al) and p-p, d-d((51)V) orbital contributions to the valence electrons, while the lattice part only gives a minor contribution for both nuclei.

Solid-state (14)N MAS NMR of ammonium ions as a spy to structural insights for ammonium salts

The high resolution offered by magic-angle spinning (MAS), when compared to the static condition in solid-state NMR of powders, has been used to full advantage in a (14)N MAS NMR study of some ammonium salts: CH(3)NH(3)Cl, (NH(4))(2)(COO)(2) x H(2)O, (CH(3))(3)(C(6)H(5)CH(2))NCl, (CH(3))(3)(C(6)H(5))NI, [(n-C(4)H(9))(4)N](2)Mo(2)O(7), (NH(4))(2)HPO(4), and NH(4)H(2)PO(4). It is shown that the high-quality (14)N MAS NMR spectra, which can be obtained for these salts, allow determination of the (14)N quadrupole coupling parameters, i.e. C(Q) (the quadrupole coupling constant) and eta(Q) (the asymmetry parameter), with very high precision. In particular, it is shown that precise C(Q), eta(Q) parameters can be determined for at least two different (14)N sites in case the individual spinning-sideband (ssb) intensities arise from a single manifold of ssbs, i.e. the ssbs for the two sites cannot be resolved. This feature of (14)N MAS NMR, which is the first demonstration for manifolds of ssb in MAS NMR without the potential information from a central transition, becomes especially useful at the slow spinning frequencies (nu(r) = 1000-1500 Hz) applied to some of the ammonium salts studied here. The detection of the number of sites has been confirmed by the corresponding crystal structures determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), either in this work for the unknown structure of benzyl trimethylammonium chloride or from reports in the literature. The magnitudes of the (14)N quadrupole coupling constants for the ammonium salts studied here are in the range from C(Q) approximately 20 kHz to 1 MHz while the asymmetry parameters span the full range 0 < or = eta(Q) < or = 1. Clearly, the (14)N quadrupole coupling parameters (C(Q), eta(Q)) for ammonium ions appear highly sensitive toward crystal structure and therefore appreciably more informative for the characterization of ammonium salts in comparison to the isotropic (14)N (or (15)N) chemical shifts.