The electron resonance lineshapes of6S state transition metal ions in solution

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.

Electron spin relaxation due to reorientation of a permanent zero field splitting tensor

Electron spin relaxation of transition metal ions with spin S> or =1 results primarily from thermal modulation of the zero field splitting (zfs) tensor. This occurs both by distortion of the zfs tensor due to intermolecular collisions and, for complexes with less than cubic symmetry, by reorientational modulation of the permanent zfs tensor. The reorientational mechanism is much less well characterized in previous work than the distortional mechanism although it is an important determinant of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) paramagnetic relaxation enhancement phenomena (i.e., the enhancement of NMR relaxation rates produced by paramagnetic ions in solution or NMR-PRE). The classical density matrix theory of spin relaxation does not provide an appropriate description of the reorientational mechanism at low Zeeman field strengths because the zero-order spin wave functions are stochastic functions of time. Using spin dynamics simulation techniques, the time correlation functions of the spin operators have been computed and used to determine decay times for the reorientational relaxation mechanism for S=1. In the zfs limit of laboratory field strengths (H(Zeem)<<H(zfs) (composite function)), when the zfs tensor is cylindrical, the spin decay is exponential, the spin relaxation time, tau(S) (composite function) approximately 0.53tau(R)((1)), where tau(R)((1)) is the reorientational correlation time of a molecule-fixed vector. The value of tau(S) (composite function) is independent of the magnitude of the cylindrical zfs parameter (D), but it depends strongly on low symmetry zfs terms (the E/D ratio). Other spin dynamics (SD) simulations examined spin decay in the intermediate regime of field strengths where H(Zeem) approximately H(zfs) (composite function), and in the vicinity of the Zeeman limit. The results demonstrate that the reorientational electron spin relaxation mechanism is often significant when H(zfs) (composite function)> or =H(Zeem), and that its neglect can lead to serious errors in the interpretation of NMR-PRE data.

Paramagnetic probes in NMR and EPR studies of membrane enzymes

The applications of paramagnetic probes to problems of structure and mechanism are discussed from the point of view of the membrane enzymologist. Problems unique to membrane systems are discussed, and a variety of nuclear and paramagnetic probes are evaluated. Three membrane ATPase (kidney (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum and Mg2+-ATPase from kidney) are used to describe the types of experiments which can be done, the information which can be obtained and the limitations involved. Nuclear relaxation studies employing 1H, 7Li+, 31P and 205Tl+ nuclei are described. The advantages and disadvantages of Mn2+, Gd3+ and Cr3+ as paramagnetic probes are discussed in terms of the three ATPases. The theory and interpretation of Mn2+ and Gd3+ EPR spectra are evaluated in studies with the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase, respectively.

Divalent paramagnetic counterions site binding in polyelectrolyte solutions. Analysis of the frequency dependence of the water protons magnetic relaxation and the characteristic parameters of “site binding”

Chemical shift and relaxation time measurements on the water protons in polyelectrolyte solutions containing divalent paramagnetic counterions have shown the existence of three types of counterions: - site bound with loss of water molecules and partial or complete release of the electrostriction in the first hydration sphere, - atmospherically trapped with no change in hydration, - free. The overall stoichiometry of the two former is in agreement with Manning's fraction of condensed counterions. A complete analysis of the frequency dependent contribution of site bound counterions to the water protons relaxation times leads us to interesting conclusions on the modifications of the first hydration shell and on the life time of site binding.