Variable-Temperature 17O NMR Studies Allow Quantitative Evaluation of Molecular Dynamics in Organic Solids

Exploring the Potential of Multinuclear Solid-State 1 H, 13 C, and 35 Cl Magnetic Resonance To Characterize Static and Dynamic Disorder in Pharmaceutical Hydrochlorides

Crystallographic disorder, whether static or dynamic, can be detrimental to the physical and chemical stability, ease of crystallization and dissolution rate of an active pharmaceutical ingredient. Disorder can result in a loss of manufacturing control leading to batch-to-batch variability and can lengthen the process of structural characterization. The range of NMR active nuclei makes solid-state NMR a unique technique for gaining nucleus-specific information about crystallographic disorder. Here, we explore the use of high-field ³⁵ Cl solid-state NMR at 23.5 T to characterize both static and dynamic crystallographic disorder: specifically, dynamic disorder occurring in duloxetine hydrochloride (1), static disorder in promethazine hydrochloride (2), and trifluoperazine dihydrochloride (3). In all structures, the presence of crystallographic disorder was confirmed by ¹³ C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR and supported by GIPAW-DFT calculations, and in the case of 3, ¹ H solid-state NMR provided additional confirmation. Applying ³⁵ Cl solid-state NMR to these compounds, we show that higher magnetic fields are beneficial for resolving the crystallographic disorder in 1 and 3, while broad spectral features were observed in 2 even at higher fields. Combining the data obtained from ¹ H, ¹³ C, and ³⁵ Cl NMR, we show that 3 exhibits a unique case of disorder involving the ⁺ N-H hydrogen positions of the piperazinium ring, driving the chloride anions to occupy three distinct sites.

Combining X-ray and NMR Crystallography to Explore the Crystallographic Disorder in Salbutamol Oxalate

Salbutamol is an active pharmaceutical ingredient commonly used to treat respiratory distress and is listed by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine. Here, we establish the crystal structure of its oxalate form, salbutamol oxalate, and explore the nature of its crystallographic disorder by combined X-ray crystallography and ¹³C cross-polarization (CP) magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR. The *C-OH chiral center of salbutamol (note that the crystal structures are a racemic mixture of the two enantiomers of salbutamol) is disordered over two positions, and the tert-butyl group is rotating rapidly, as revealed by ¹³C solid-state NMR. The impact of crystallization conditions on the disorder was investigated, finding variations in the occupancy ratio of the *C-OH chiral center between single crystals and a consistency across samples in the bulk powder. Overall, this work highlights the contrast between investigating crystallographic disorder by X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR experiment, and gauge-including projector-augmented-wave (GIPAW) density functional theory (DFT) calculations, with their combined use, yielding an improved understanding of the nature of the crystallographic disorder between the local (i.e., as viewed by NMR) and longer-range periodic (i.e., as viewed by diffraction) scale.

Rapid, Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Test for Oxygen-17 Enrichment in Water

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies involving ¹⁷O are increasingly important in molecular biology, material science, and other disciplines. A large number of these studies employ H₂¹⁷O as a source of ¹⁷O, and this reliance can be limiting because the high cost of H₂¹⁷O. To overcome this constraint, a recent study proposed a distillation scheme capable of producing significant quantities of H₂¹⁷O at a low cost. Although this method is reported to be effective, the reactions proposed to quantify percent of ¹⁷O enrichment are either time intensive or have a risk of errors due to the isotope effect. Here, an alternative reaction scheme is described to measure ¹⁷O water that ultimately creates methyl benzoate as the sole ¹⁷O-containing product. The proposed reaction is completed in a matter of minutes at room temperature, produces only one ¹⁷O product, and requires no clean-up step. The large isotope shift observed in solution NMR between the ¹³C═¹⁶O and ¹³C═¹⁷O resonances allows for integration of the individual peaks. This ¹³C NMR analysis is found to be highly accurate over a wide enrichment range and is accessible to most NMR spectroscopists.

Racing toward Fast and Effective 17O Isotopic Labeling and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of N-Formyl-MLF-OH and Associated Building Blocks

Solid-state ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been an essential analytical method in studying complex molecules and biomolecules for decades. While oxygen-17 (¹⁷O) NMR is an ideal and robust candidate to study hydrogen bonding within secondary and tertiary protein structures for example, it continues to elude many. We discuss an improved multiple-turnover labeling procedure to develop a fast and cost-effective method to ¹⁷O label fluoroenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protected amino acid building blocks. This approach allows for inexpensive ($0.25 USD/mg) insertion of ¹⁷O labels, an important barrier to overcome for future biomolecular studies. The ¹⁷O NMR results of these building blocks and a site-specific strategy for labeled N-acetyl-MLF-OH and N-formyl-MLF-OH tripeptides are presented. We showcase growth in NMR development for maximizing sensitivity gains using emerging sensitivity enhancement techniques including population transfer, high-field dynamic nuclear polarization, and cross-polarization magic-angle spinning cryoprobes.

Fast and Accurate Electric Field Gradient Calculations in Molecular Solids With Density Functional Theory

Modern approaches for calculating electric field gradient (EFF) tensors in molecular solids rely upon plane-wave calculations employing periodic boundary conditions (PBC). In practice, models employing PBCs are limited to generalized gradient approximation (GGA) density functionals. Hybrid density functionals applied in the context of gauge-including atomic orbital (GIAO) calculations have been shown to substantially improve the accuracy of predicted NMR parameters. Here we propose an efficient method that effectively combines the benefits of both periodic calculations and single-molecule techniques for predicting electric field gradient tensors in molecular solids. Periodic calculations using plane-wave basis sets were used to model the crystalline environment. We then introduce a molecular correction to the periodic result obtained from a single-molecule calculation performed with a hybrid density functional. Single-molecule calculations performed using hybrid density functionals were found to significantly improve the agreement of predicted 17O quadrupolar coupling constants (C q ) with experiment. We demonstrate a 31% reduction in the RMS error for the predicted 17O C q values relative to standard plane-wave methods using a carefully constructed test set comprised of 22 oxygen-containing molecular crystals. We show comparable improvements in accuracy using five different hybrid density functionals and find predicted C q values to be relatively insensitive to the choice of basis set used in the single molecule calculation. Finally, the utility of high-accuracy 17O C q predictions is demonstrated by examining the disordered 4-Nitrobenzaldehyde crystal structure.

Taming the dynamics in a pharmaceutical by cocrystallization: investigating the impact of the coformer by solid-state NMR

The anti-HIV pharmaceutical efavirenz is highly dynamic in its crystalline state, and we show that these dynamics can be tamed through the introduction of a coformer.

Solid-State 17O NMR Studies of Sulfonate Jump Dynamics in Crystalline Sulfonic Acids: Insights into the Hydrogen Bonding Effect

We report variable-temperature (VT) ¹⁷O solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra for three crystalline sulfonic acids: l-cysteic acid monohydrate (CA), 3-pyridinesulfonic acid (PSA), and p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (TSA). We were able to analyze the experimental VT ¹⁷O NMR spectra to obtain the activation barriers for SO₃^- jumps in these systems. Using the density functional-based tight-binding (DFTB) method, we performed potential energy surface scans for SO₃^- jumps in the crystal lattice of CA, PSA, and TSA, as well as for three related crystalline sulfonic acids (taurine, homotaurine, and 4-aminobutane-1-sulfonic acid) for which relevant ¹⁷O solid-state NMR data are available in the literature. The calculated activation barriers are in reasonable agreement with the experimental values. On the basis of the DFTB results, we hypothesized that activation barriers for SO₃^- jumps in the crystal lattice depend largely on the hydrogen bonding energy difference between the ground state and the transition state.

Functional stability of water wire-carbonyl interactions in an ion channel

Despite the well-characterized structural symmetry of the dimeric transmembrane antibiotic gramicidin A, we show that the symmetry is broken by selective hydrogen bonding between eight waters comprising a transmembrane water wire and a specific subset of the 26 pore-lining carbonyl oxygens of the gramicidin A channel. The ¹⁷O NMR spectroscopic resolution of the carbonyl resonances from the two subunits required the use of a world record high field magnet (35.2 T; 1,500 MHz for ¹H). Uniquely, this result documented the millisecond timescale stability of the water wire orientation within the gramicidin A pore that had been reported to have only subnanosecond stability. These ¹⁷O spectroscopic results portend wide applications in molecular biophysics and beyond.

Water wires are critical for the functioning of many membrane proteins, as in channels that conduct water, protons, and other ions. Here, in liquid crystalline lipid bilayers under symmetric environmental conditions, the selective hydrogen bonding interactions between eight waters comprising a water wire and a subset of 26 carbonyl oxygens lining the antiparallel dimeric gramicidin A channel are characterized by ¹⁷O NMR spectroscopy at 35.2 T (or 1,500 MHz for ¹H) and computational studies. While backbone ¹⁵N spectra clearly indicate structural symmetry between the two subunits, single site ¹⁷O labels of the pore-lining carbonyls report two resonances, implying a break in dimer symmetry caused by the selective interactions with the water wire. The ¹⁷O shifts document selective water hydrogen bonding with carbonyl oxygens that are stable on the millisecond timescale. Such interactions are supported by density functional theory calculations on snapshots taken from molecular dynamics simulations. Water hydrogen bonding in the pore is restricted to just three simultaneous interactions, unlike bulk water environs. The stability of the water wire orientation and its electric dipole leads to opposite charge-dipole interactions for K⁺ ions bound at the two ends of the pore, thereby providing a simple explanation for an ∼20-fold difference in K⁺ affinity between two binding sites that are ∼24 Å apart. The ¹⁷O NMR spectroscopy reported here represents a breakthrough in high field NMR technology that will have applications throughout molecular biophysics, because of the acute sensitivity of the ¹⁷O nucleus to its chemical environment.

17O NMR studies of organic and biological molecules in aqueous solution and in the solid state

This review describes the latest developments in the field of ¹⁷O NMR spectroscopy of organic and biological molecules both in aqueous solution and in the solid state. In the first part of the review, a general theoretical description of the nuclear quadrupole relaxation process in isotropic liquids is presented at a mathematical level suitable for non-specialists. In addition to the first-order quadrupole interaction, the theory also includes additional relaxation mechanisms such as the second-order quadrupole interaction and its cross correlation with shielding anisotropy. This complete theoretical treatment allows one to assess the transverse relaxation rate (thus the line width) of NMR signals from half-integer quadrupolar nuclei in solution over the entire range of motion. On the basis of this theoretical framework, we discuss general features of quadrupole-central-transition (QCT) NMR, which is a particularly powerful method of studying biomolecules in the slow motion regime. Then we review recent advances in ¹⁷O QCT NMR studies of biological macromolecules in aqueous solution. The second part of the review is concerned with solid-state ¹⁷O NMR studies of organic and biological molecules. As a sequel to the previous review on the same subject [G. Wu, Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. Spectrosc. 52 (2008) 118-169], the current review provides a complete coverage of the literature published since 2008 in this area.

Uniform signal enhancement in MAS NMR of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei using quadruple-frequency sweeps

We introduce two MAS schemes that allow manipulating the satellite-transition (ST) populations of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei, and which both exhibit improved robustness to the quadrupolar coupling constant (C_Q). These schemes, called quadruple frequency sweep (QFS) or quadruple WURST (QWURST) are the sums of two DFS or four WURST to efficiently invert the ST populations of nuclei subject to large or small quadrupole interactions, simultaneously. These quadruple sweeps methods only require 6% more rf-power than the double sweeps ones. We demonstrate, both numerically and experimentally, that the QFS and QWURST schemes benefit from robustness to C_Q and rf amplitude and offset and hence achieve uniform enhancement of the CT signal for ²⁷Al nuclei subject to different quadrupole interactions. Although the version of QFS with repetitive accumulation can achieve higher enhancement in the S/N of the ²⁷Al MAS spectrum, the final sensitivity gains mainly depend on the longitudinal relaxation time of different ²⁷Al sites. We also confirm that these schemes provide an improved acceleration of the ³¹P-{²⁷Al} coherence transfer in PT-J-HMQC experiments.

Two-site jumps in dimethyl sulfone studied by one- and two-dimensional 17O NMR spectroscopy

Polycrystalline dimethyl sulfone is studied using central-transition oxygen-17 exchange NMR. The quadrupolar and chemical shift tensors are determined by combining quantum chemical calculations with line shape analyses of rigid-lattice spectra measured for stationary and rotating samples at several external magnetic fields. Quantum chemical computations predict that the largest principal axes of the chemical shift anisotropy and electrical field gradient tensors enclose an angle of about 73°. This prediction is successfully tested by comparison with absorption spectra recorded at three different external magnetic fields. The experimental one-dimensional motionally narrowed spectra and the two-dimensional exchange spectrum are compatible with model calculations involving jumps of the molecules about their two-fold symmetry axis. This motion is additionally investigated by means of two-time stimulated-echo spectroscopy which allows for a determination of motional correlation functions over a wider temperature range than previously reported using carbon and deuteron NMR. On the basis of suitable second-order quadrupolar frequency distributions, sin-sin stimulated-echo amplitudes are calculated for a two-site model in the limit of vanishing evolution time and compared with experimental findings. The present study thus establishes oxygen-17 NMR as a powerful method that will be particularly useful for the study of solids and liquids devoid of nuclei governed by first-order anisotropies.

Second-order quadrupolar line shapes under molecular dynamics: An additional transition in the extremely fast regime

NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing molecular dynamics. For the classic case of two-site exchange, NMR spectra go through the transition from exchange broadening through coalescence and then motional narrowing as the exchange rate increases passing through the difference between the resonance frequencies of the two sites. For central-transition spectra of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei in solids, line shape change due to molecular dynamics occurs in two stages. The first stage occurs when the exchange rate is comparable to the second-order quadrupolar interaction. The second spectral transition comes at a faster exchange rate which approaches the Larmor frequency and generally reduces the isotropic quadrupolar shift. Such a two-stage transition phenomenon is unique to half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. A quantum mechanical formalism in full Liouville space is presented to explain the physical origin of the two-stage phenomenon and for use in spectral simulations. Variable-temperature ¹⁷O NMR of solid NaNO₃ in which the NO₃^- ion undergoes 3-fold jumps confirms the two-stage transition process. The spectra of NaNO₃ acquired in the temperature range of 173-413K agree well with simulations using the quantum mechanical formalism. The rate constants for the 3-fold NO₃^- ion jumps span eight orders of magnitude (10²-10¹⁰s^-1) covering both transitions of the dynamic ¹⁷O line shape.

Solid-State 17 O NMR Reveals Hydrogen-Bonding Energetics: Not All Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bonds Are Strong

While NMR and IR spectroscopic signatures and structural characteristics of low-barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) formation are well documented in the literature, direct measurement of the LBHB energy is difficult. Here, we show that solid-state ¹⁷ O NMR spectroscopy can provide unique information about the energy required to break a LBHB. Our solid-state ¹⁷ O NMR data show that the HB enthalpy of the O⋅⋅⋅H⋅⋅⋅N LBHB formed in crystalline nicotinic acid is only 7.7±0.5 kcal mol^-1 , suggesting that not all LBHBs are particularly strong.

(17)O NMR Investigation of Water Structure and Dynamics

The structure and dynamics of the bound water in barium chlorate monohydrate were studied with (17)O nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in samples that are stationary and spinning at the magic-angle in magnetic fields ranging from 14.1 to 21.1 T. (17)O NMR parameters of the water were determined, and the effects of torsional oscillations of the water molecule on the (17)O quadrupolar coupling constant (CQ) were delineated with variable temperature MAS NMR. With decreasing temperature and reduction of the librational motion, we observe an increase in the experimentally measured CQ explaining the discrepancy between experiments and predictions from density functional theory. In addition, at low temperatures and in the absence of (1)H decoupling, we observe a well-resolved (1)H-(17)O dipole splitting in the spectra, which provides information on the structure of the H2O molecule. The splitting arises because of the homogeneous nature of the coupling between the two (1)H-(17)O dipoles and the (1)H-(1)H dipole.

Solid-State ¹⁷O NMR studies of organic and biological molecules: Recent advances and future directions

This Trends article highlights the recent advances published between 2012 and 2015 in solid-state (17)O NMR for organic and biological molecules. New developments in the following areas are described: (1) new oxygen-containing functional groups, (2) metal organic frameworks, (3) pharmaceuticals, (4) probing molecular motion in organic solids, (5) dynamic nuclear polarization, and (6) paramagnetic coordination compounds. For each of these areas, the author offers his personal views on important problems to be solved and possible future directions.

Rapid acquisition of wideline MAS solid-state NMR spectra with fast MAS, proton detection, and dipolar HMQC pulse sequences

Fast MAS and proton detection are applied to rapidly acquire wideline solid-state NMR spectra of spin-1/2 and half-integer quadrupolar nuclei.

Anion-Receptor Mediated Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide to Carbonate by Peroxide Dianion

The reactivity of peroxide dianion O2(2-) has been scarcely explored in organic media due to the lack of soluble sources of this reduced oxygen species. We now report the finding that the encapsulated peroxide cryptate, [O2⊂mBDCA-5t-H6](2-) (1), reacts with carbon monoxide in organic solvents at 40 °C to cleanly form an encapsulated carbonate. Characterization of the resulting hexacarboxamide carbonate cryptate by single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that carbonate dianion forms nine complementary hydrogen bonds with the hexacarboxamide cryptand, [CO3⊂mBDCA-5t-H6](2-) (2), a conclusion that is supported by spectroscopic data. Labeling studies and (17)O solid-state NMR data confirm that two-thirds of the oxygen atoms in the encapsulated carbonate derive from peroxide dianion, while the carbon is derived from CO. Further evidence for the formation of a carbonate cryptate was obtained by three methods of independent synthesis: treatment of (i) free cryptand with K2CO3; (ii) monodeprotonated cryptand with PPN[HCO3]; and (iii) free cryptand with TBA[OH] and atmospheric CO2. This work demonstrates CO oxidation mediated by a hydrogen-bonding anion receptor, constituting an alternative to transition-metal catalysis.

A solid-state 17O NMR study of platinum-carboxylate complexes: carboplatin and oxaliplatin

We report synthesis and solid-state NMR characterization of two 17O-labeled platinum anticancer drugs: cis-diammine(1,1-cyclobutane-[17O4]dicarboxylato)platinum(II) (carboplatin) and ([17O4]oxalato)[(1R, 2R)-(−)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine)]platinum(II) (oxaliplatin). Both 17O chemical shift (CS) and quadrupolar coupling (QC) tensors were measured for the carboxylate groups in these two compounds. With the aid of plane wave DFT computations, the 17O CS and QC tensor orientations were determined in the molecular frame of reference. Significant changes in the 17O CS and QC tensors were observed for the carboxylate oxygen atom upon its coordination to Pt(II). In particular, the 17O isotropic chemical shifts for the oxygen atoms directly bonded to Pt(II) are found to be smaller (more shielded) by 200 ppm than those for the non-Pt-coordinated oxygen atoms within the same carboxylate group. Examination of the 17O CS tensor components reveals that such a large 17O coordination shift is primarily due to the shielding increase along the direction that is within the O=C–O–Pt plane and perpendicular to the O–Pt bond. This result is interpreted as due to the σ donation from the oxygen nonbonding orbital (electron lone pair) to the Pt(II) empty dyz orbital, which results in large energy gaps between σ(Pt–O) and unoccupied molecular orbitals, thus reducing the paramagnetic shielding contribution along the direction perpendicular to the O–Pt bond. We found that the 17O QC tensor of the carboxylate oxygen is also sensitive to Pt(II) coordination, and that 17O CS and QC tensors provide complementary information about the O–Pt bonding.

High sensitivity and resolution in 43Ca solid-state NMR experiments

A thorough investigation of solid-state NMR signal enhancement schemes and high-resolution techniques for application to the spin-7/2 43Ca nuclide are presented. Signal enhancement experiments employing double frequency sweeps, hyperbolic secant pulses, and rotor-assisted population transfer, which manipulate the satellite transitions of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei to polarize the central transition (m = + 1/2 ↔ –1/2), are carried out on four well-characterized 43Ca isotopically enriched calcium salts: Ca(NO3)2, Ca(OD)2, CaSO4·2H2O, and Ca(OAc)2·H2O. These results, in conjunction with numerical simulations of 43Ca NMR spectra under magic-angle spinning conditions, are used to identify the technique that provides the most uniform (or quantitative) polarization enhancement as well as the largest signal enhancement factors independent of size of the 43Ca quadrupolar coupling constant, which is the most significant source of resonance broadening in 43Ca NMR spectra. These samples are further investigated using 43Ca double-rotation NMR spectroscopy to yield isotropic, or solution-like, NMR spectra with exquisite resolution. In addition, three unique calcium sites are resolved for the hemihydrated form of calcium acetate (unknown structure), Ca(OAc)2·0.5H2O, with double-rotation NMR, whereas the more common, but more time-consuming, multiple quantum magic-angle spinning technique only clearly resolves two calcium sites. The results shown herein will be useful for other NMR spectroscopists attempting to acquire 43Ca solid-state NMR data for unknown and more complex materials with a higher degree of both sensitivity and resolution.

Solid-State (17)O NMR of Oxygen-Nitrogen Singly Bonded Compounds: Hydroxylammonium Chloride and Sodium Trioxodinitrate (Angeli's Salt)

We report a solid-state NMR study of (17)O-labeled hydroxylammonium chloride ([H(17)O-NH3]Cl) and sodium trioxodinitrate monohydrate (Na2[(17)ONNO2]·H2O, Angeli's salt). The common feature in these two compounds is that they both contain oxygen atoms that are singly bonded to nitrogen. For this class of oxygen-containing functional groups, there is very limited solid-state (17)O NMR data in the literature. In this work, we experimentally measured the (17)O chemical shift and quadrupolar coupling tensors. With the aid of plane-wave DFT computation, the (17)O NMR tensor orientations were determined in the molecular frame of reference. We found that the characteristic feature of an O-N single bond is that the (17)O nucleus exhibits a large quadrupolar coupling constant (13-15 MHz) but a rather small chemical shift anisotropy (100-250 ppm), in sharp contrast with the nitroso (O═N) functional group for which both quantities are very large (e.g., 16 MHz and 3000 ppm, respectively).

Natural Abundance (17)O DNP Two-Dimensional and Surface-Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy

Due to its extremely low natural abundance and quadrupolar nature, the (17)O nuclide is very rarely used for spectroscopic investigation of solids by NMR without isotope enrichment. Additionally, the applicability of dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), which leads to sensitivity enhancements of 2 orders of magnitude, to (17)O is wrought with challenges due to the lack of spin diffusion and low polarization transfer efficiency from (1)H. Here, we demonstrate new DNP-based measurements that extend (17)O solid-state NMR beyond its current capabilities. The use of the PRESTO technique instead of conventional (1)H-(17)O cross-polarization greatly improves the sensitivity and enables the facile measurement of undistorted line shapes and two-dimensional (1)H-(17)O HETCOR NMR spectra as well as accurate internuclear distance measurements at natural abundance. This was applied for distinguishing hydrogen-bonded and lone (17)O sites on the surface of silica gel; the one-dimensional spectrum of which could not be used to extract such detail. Lastly, this greatly enhanced sensitivity has enabled, for the first time, the detection of surface hydroxyl sites on mesoporous silica at natural abundance, thereby extending the concept of DNP surface-enhanced NMR spectroscopy to the (17)O nuclide.

Structural Insights into Bound Water in Crystalline Amino Acids: Experimental and Theoretical (17)O NMR

We demonstrate here that the (17)O NMR properties of bound water in a series of amino acids and dipeptides can be determined with a combination of nonspinning and magic-angle spinning experiments using a range of magnetic field strengths from 9.4 to 21.1 T. Furthermore, we propose a (17)O chemical shift fingerprint region for bound water molecules in biological solids that is well outside the previously determined ranges for carbonyl, carboxylic, and hydroxyl oxygens, thereby offering the ability to resolve multiple (17)O environments using rapid one-dimensional NMR techniques. Finally, we compare our experimental data against quantum chemical calculations using GIPAW and hybrid-DFT, finding intriguing discrepancies between the electric field gradients calculated from structures determined by X-ray and neutron diffraction.

Solid-state ¹⁷O NMR spectroscopy of paramagnetic coordination compounds

High-quality solid-state (17)O (I=5/2) NMR spectra can be successfully obtained for paramagnetic coordination compounds in which oxygen atoms are directly bonded to the paramagnetic metal centers. For complexes containing V(III) (S=1), Cu(II) (S=1/2), and Mn(III) (S=2) metal centers, the (17)O isotropic paramagnetic shifts were found to span a range of more than 10,000 ppm. In several cases, high-resolution (17)O NMR spectra were recorded under very fast magic-angle spinning (MAS) conditions at 21.1 T. Quantum-chemical computations using density functional theory (DFT) qualitatively reproduced the experimental (17)O hyperfine shift tensors.

Are the amide bonds in N-acyl imidazoles twisted? A combined solid-state 17O NMR, crystallographic, and computational study

We report synthesis of 17O-labeling and solid-state 17O NMR measurements of three N-acyl imidazoles of the type R-C(17O)-Im: R = p-methoxycinnamoyl (MCA-Im), R = 4-(dimethylamino)benzoyl (DAB-Im), and R = 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl (TMB-Im). Solid-state 17O NMR experiments allowed us to determine for the first time the 17O quadrupole coupling and chemical shift tensors in this class of organic compounds. We also determined the crystal structures of these compounds using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal structures show that, while the C(O)–N amide bond in DAB-Im exhibits a small twist, those in MCA-Im and TMB-Im are essentially planar. We found that, in these N-acyl imidazoles, the 17O quadrupole coupling and chemical shift tensors depend critically on the torsion angle between the conjugated acyl group and the C(O)–N amide plane. The computational results from a plane-wave DFT approach, which takes into consideration the entire crystal lattice, are in excellent agreement with the experimental solid-state 17O NMR results. Quantum chemical computations also show that the dependence of 17O NMR parameters on the Ar–C(O) bond rotation is very similar to that previously observed for the C(O)–N bond rotation in twisted amides. We conclude that one should be cautious in linking the observed NMR chemical shifts only to the twist of the C(O)–N amide bond.

Characterization of the dynamics in the protonic conductor CsH₂PO₄ by ¹⁷O solid-state NMR spectroscopy and first-principles calculations: correlating phosphate and protonic motion

¹⁷O NMR spectroscopy combined with first-principles calculations was employed to understand the local structure and dynamics of the phosphate ions and protons in the paraelectric phase of the proton conductor CsH₂PO₄. For the room-temperature structure, the results confirm that one proton (H1) is localized in an asymmetric H-bond (between O1 donor and O2 acceptor oxygen atoms), whereas the H2 proton undergoes rapid exchange between two sites in a hydrogen bond with a symmetric double potential well at a rate ≥10⁷ Hz. Variable-temperature ¹⁷O NMR spectra recorded from 22 to 214 °C were interpreted by considering different models for the rotation of the phosphate anions. At least two distinct rate constants for rotations about four pseudo C₃ axes of the phosphate ion were required in order to achieve good agreement with the experimental data. An activation energy of 0.21 ± 0.06 eV was observed for rotation about the P–O1 axis, with a higher activation energy of 0.50 ± 0.07 eV being obtained for rotation about the P–O2, P–O3^d, and P–O3^a axes, with the superscripts denoting, respectively, dynamic donor and acceptor oxygen atoms of the H-bond. The higher activation energy of the second process is most likely associated with the cost of breaking an O1–H1 bond. The activation energy of this process is slightly lower than that obtained from the ¹H exchange process (0.70 ± 0.07 eV) (Kim, G.; Blanc, F.; Hu, Y.-Y.; Grey, C. P. J. Phys. Chem. C2013, 117, 6504−6515) associated with the translational motion of the protons. The relationship between proton jumps and phosphate rotation was analyzed in detail by considering uncorrelated motion, motion of individual PO₄ ions and the four connected/H-bonded protons, and concerted motions of adjacent phosphate units, mediated by proton hops. We conclude that, while phosphate rotations aid proton motion, not all phosphate rotations result in proton jumps.

Solid-state NMR as a probe of anion binding: molecular dynamics and associations in a [5]polynorbornane bisurea host complexed with terephthalate

A suite of solid-state NMR experiments is used to study a supramolecular complex consisting of a [5]polynorbornane bisurea host and terephthalate dianion guest, revealing information on the dynamics of both the host and guest species.

Wobbling and Hopping: Studying Dynamics of CO2 Adsorbed in Metal-Organic Frameworks via (17)O Solid-State NMR

Knowledge of adsorbed gas dynamics within microporous solids is crucial for the design of more efficient gas capture materials. We demonstrate that (17)O solid-state NMR (SSNMR) experiments allow one to obtain accurate information on CO2 dynamics within metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), using CPO-27-M (M = Mg, Zn) as examples. Variable-temperature (VT) (17)O SSNMR spectra acquired from 150 to 403 K yield key parameters defining the CO2 motions. VT (17)O SSNMR spectra of CPO-27-Zn indicate relatively weaker metal-oxygen binding and increased CO2 dynamics. (17)O SSNMR is a sensitive probe of CO2 dynamics due to the presence of both the quadrupolar and chemical shielding interactions, and holds potential for the investigation of motions within a variety of microporous materials.

Synthetic methodologies in organic chemistry involving incorporation of [¹⁷O] and [¹⁸O] isotopes

This review is a critical survey of the literature that aims to highlight the most significant developments on synthetic strategies involving stable oxygen isotopes ([(17)O] and [(18)O]). The labeling methodologies are categorized in groups, according to the oxygen-containing functional group.

Dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced NMR spectroscopy for pharmaceutical formulations

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy at 9.4 T is demonstrated for the detailed atomic-level characterization of commercial pharmaceutical formulations. To enable DNP experiments without major modifications of the formulations, the gently ground tablets are impregnated with solutions of biradical polarizing agents. The organic liquid used for impregnation (here 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane) is chosen so that the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is minimally perturbed. DNP enhancements (ε) of between 40 and 90 at 105 K were obtained for the microparticulate API within four different commercial formulations of the over-the-counter antihistamine drug cetirizine dihydrochloride. The different formulations contain between 4.8 and 8.7 wt % API. DNP enables the rapid acquisition with natural isotopic abundances of one- and two-dimensional (13)C and (15)N solid-state NMR spectra of the formulations while preserving the microstructure of the API particles. Here this allowed immediate identification of the amorphous form of the API in the tablet. API-excipient interactions were observed in high-sensitivity (1)H-(15)N correlation spectra, revealing direct contacts between povidone and the API. The API domain sizes within the formulations were determined by measuring the variation of ε as a function of the polarization time and numerically modeling nuclear spin diffusion. Here we measure an API particle radius of 0.3 μm with a single particle model, while modeling with a Weibull distribution of particle sizes suggests most particles possess radii of around 0.07 μm.