43Ca MAS-DNP NMR of Frozen Solutions for the Investigation of Calcium Ion Complexation

Calcium ion complexation in aqueous solutions is of paramount importance in biology as it is related to cell signaling, muscle contraction, or biomineralization. However, Ca2+-complexes are dynamic soluble entities challenging to describe at the molecular level. Nuclear magnetic resonance appears as a method of choice to probe Ca2+-complexes. However, 43Ca NMR exhibits severe limitations arising from the low natural abundance coupled to the low gyromagnetic ratio and the quadrupolar nature of 43Ca, which overall make it a very unreceptive nucleus. Here, we show that 43Ca dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) NMR of 43Ca-labeled frozen solutions is an efficient approach to enhance the NMR receptivity of 43Ca and to obtain structural insights about calcium ions complexed with representative ligands including water molecules, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and l-aspartic acid (l-Asp). In these conditions and in combination with numerical simulations and calculations, we show that 43Ca nuclei belonging to Ca2+ complexed to the investigated ligands exhibit rather low quadrupolar couplings (with CQ typically ranging from 0.6 to 1 MHz) due to high symmetrical environments and potential residual dynamics in vitrified solutions at a temperature of 100 K. As a consequence, when 1H→43Ca cross-polarization (CP) is used to observe 43Ca central transition, "high-power" νRF(43Ca) conditions, typically used to detect spin 1/2 nuclei, provide ∼120 times larger sensitivity than "low-power" conditions usually employed for detection of quadrupolar nuclei. These "high-power" CPMAS conditions allow two-dimensional (2D) 1H-43Ca HetCor spectra to be readily recorded, highlighting various Ca2+-ligand interactions in solution. This significant increase in 43Ca NMR sensitivity results from the combination of distinct advantages: (i) an efficient 1H-mediated polarization transfer from DNP, resembling the case of low-natural-abundance spin 1/2 nuclei, (ii) a reduced dynamics, allowing the use of CP as a sensitivity enhancement technique, and (iii) the presence of a relatively highly symmetrical Ca environment, which, combined to residual dynamics, leads to the averaging of the quadrupolar interaction and hence to efficient high-power CP conditions. Interestingly, these results indicate that the use of high-power CP conditions is an effective way of selecting symmetrical and/or dynamic 43Ca environments of calcium-containing frozen solution, capable of filtering out more rigid and/or anisotropic 43Ca sites characterized by larger quadrupolar constants. This approach could open the way to the atomic-level investigation of calcium environments in more complex, heterogeneous frozen solutions, such as those encountered at the early stages of calcium phosphate or calcium carbonate biomineralization events.

A facile approach for estimating radio-frequency field strength of low-receptivity nuclei

Radio-frequency (RF) field calibration is essential in NMR spectroscopy. A common practice is to collect a nutation curve by varying the pulse length in a direct single-pulse excitation experiment or in a cross-polarization magic-angle spinning with a flip-back pulse experiment. From the null points on this curve, one can calculate the RF field strength. Nevertheless, the practical implementation is not always straightforward or can even be unrealizable, especially for low-receptivity nuclei owing to their associated low sensitivity. Several researchers used an approach that involves utilizing other nuclei with more sensitivity but nearly identical Larmor frequencies to that of the nucleus of interest. However, such an approach has not been a common practice so far. In this work, we have systematically revisited this approach using 3.2 mm rotors on different sets of nuclei covering a Larmor frequency range up to 80 MHz. The effect of solid- and solution-states on RF field strength measurements has been investigated. The detection of each set of nuclei is then carried out with a resonant circuit in the NMR probe consisting of identical coils and capacitors. Our methodology is illustrated by recording 135/137Ba NMR spectra of BaTiO3 without prior 135/137Ba RF field calibration.

Polarization Amplification in Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Magic-Angle Spinning Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance by Solubilizing Traditional Ionic Salts

Dynamic nuclear polarization can improve the sensitivity of magic-angle spinning solid-state NMR experiments by 1-2 orders of magnitude. In aqueous media, experiments are usually performed using the so-called DNP juice, a glycerol-d8/D2O/H2O mixture (60/30/10, v/v/v) that can form a homogeneous glass at cryogenic temperatures. This acts as a cryoprotectant and prevents phase separation of the paramagnetic polarizing agents (PAs) that are added to the mixture to provide the source of electron spin polarization required for DNP. Here, we show that relatively high 1H DNP enhancements (∼60) can also be obtained in water without glycerol (or other glass forming agents) simply by dissolving high concentrations of electrolytes (such as NaCl or LiCl), which perturb the otherwise unavoidable ice crystallization observed upon cooling, thereby reducing PA phase separation and restoring DNP efficiency.

Exploiting solid-state dynamic nuclear polarization NMR spectroscopy to establish the spatial distribution of polymorphic phases in a solid material

Solid-state DNP NMR can enhance the ability to detect minor amounts of solid phases within heterogenous materials. Here we demonstrate that NMR contrast based on the transport of DNP-enhanced polarization can be exploited in the challenging case of early detection of a small amount of a minor polymorphic phase within a major polymorph, and we show that this approach can yield quantitative information on the spatial distribution of the two polymorphs. We focus on the detection of a minor amount (<4%) of polymorph III of m-aminobenzoic acid within a powder sample of polymorph I at natural isotopic abundance. Based on proposed models of the spatial distribution of the two polymorphs, simulations of 1H spin diffusion allow NMR data to be calculated for each model as a function of particle size and the relative amounts of the polymorphs. A comparison between simulated and experimental NMR data allows the model(s) best representing the spatial distribution of the polymorphs in the system to be established.

Supercritical CO2 impregnation process applied to polymer samples preparation for dynamic nuclear polarization solid-state NMR

In this study, supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂ ) was used to impregnate polymers with paramagnetic polarizing agents to prepare samples for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) solid-state NMR (ssNMR) experiments. As a proof of concept, we impregnated polystyrene samples with bTbK, which stands for bis-TEMPO-bisketal where TEMPO is 2,2,6,6-tetra-methylpiperindin-1-oxyl. Substantial DNP signal enhancements could be measured on DNP-enhanced ¹ H → ¹³ C cross-polarization (CP) magic-angle spinning (MAS) spectra recorded at 9.4 T and ~100 K, reaching a maximum value of 8 in the most favorable case, which appeared comparable or even higher than what is typically obtained on similar systems for former sample preparation methods. These results highlight the potential of scCO₂ impregnation as an efficient and possibly versatile methodology to prepare polymer samples for DNP ssNMR investigations.

Monitoring the influence of additives on the crystallization processes of glycine with dynamic nuclear polarization solid-state NMR

Crystallization is fundamental in many domains, and the investigation of the sequence of solid phases produced as a function of crystallization time is thus key to understand and control crystallization processes. Here, we used a solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance strategy to monitor the crystallization process of glycine, which is a model compound in polymorphism, under the influence of crystallizing additives, such as methanol or sodium chloride. More specifically, our strategy is based on a combination of low-temperatures and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to trap and detect transient crystallizing forms, which may be present only in low quantities. Interestingly, our results show that these additives yield valuable DNP signal enhancements even in the absence of glycerol within the crystallizing solution.

Stressing the differences in alizarin and purpurin dyes through UV-visible light absorption and 1H-NMR spectroscopies

Three anthraquinone-based chromophores (9,10-anthraquinone, alizarin, purpurin) are compared from the point of view of their experimental and computed NMR and UV-visible light absorption spectra. Using an hybrid (explicit/implicit) solvent model,...

Investigating the efficiency of silica materials with wall-embedded nitroxide radicals for dynamic nuclear polarisation NMR

Dynamic nuclear polarisation (DNP) can significantly enhance the sensitivity of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) experiments by transferring the electron spin polarisation of paramagnetic species to nuclei through microwave irradiation...

Monitoring Crystallization Processes in Confined Porous Materials by Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Establishing mechanistic understanding of crystallization processes at the molecular level is challenging, as it requires both the detection of transient solid phases and monitoring the evolution of both liquid and solid phases as a function of time. Here, we demonstrate the application of dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced NMR spectroscopy to study crystallization under nanoscopic confinement, revealing a viable approach to interrogate different stages of crystallization processes. We focus on crystallization of glycine within the nanometric pores (7-8 nm) of a tailored mesoporous SBA-15 silica material with wall-embedded TEMPO radicals. The results show that the early stages of crystallization, characterized by the transition from the solution phase to the first crystalline phase, are straightforwardly observed using this experimental strategy. Importantly, the NMR sensitivity enhancement provided by DNP allows the detection of intermediate phases that would not be observable using standard solid-state NMR experiments. Our results also show that the metastable β polymorph of glycine, which has only transient existence under bulk crystallization conditions, remains trapped within the pores of the mesoporous SBA-15 silica material for more than 200 days.

Solvent suppression in solid-state DNP NMR using Electronic Mixing-Mediated Annihilation (EMMA)

We show here that the Electronic Mixing-Mediated Annihilation (EMMA) method, previously reported for the suppression of background signals in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, can be successfully applied to remove the solvent signals observed in the case of nuclear magnetic resonance spectra obtained with dynamic nuclear polarization. The methodology presented here is applied to two standard sample preparation methods for dynamic nuclear polarization, namely, glass forming and incipient wetness impregnation. It is demonstrated that the Electronic Mixing-Mediated Annihilation method is complementary to the different methods for solvent suppression based on relaxation filters and that it can be used to preserve the quantitative information that might be present in the pristine spectra.

MRI assessment of multiple dipolar relaxation time (T1D) components in biological tissues interpreted with a generalized inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) model

T_1D, the relaxation time of dipolar order, is sensitive to slow motional processes. Thus T_1D is a probe for membrane dynamics and organization that could be used to characterize myelin, the lipid-rich membrane of axonal fibers. A mono-component T_1D model associated with a modified ihMT sequence was previously proposed for in vivo evaluation of T_1D with MRI. However, experiments have suggested that myelinated tissues exhibit multiple T_1D components probably due to a heterogeneous molecular mobility. A bi-component T_1D model is proposed and implemented. ihMT images of ex-vivo, fixed rat spinal cord were acquired with multiple frequency alternation rate. Fits to data yielded two T_1Ds of about 500 μs and 10 ms. The proposed model seems to further explore the complexity of myelin organization compared to the previously reported mono-component T_1D model.

A Karplus Equation for the Conformational Analysis of Organic Molecular Crystals

Vicinal scalar couplings (³ J) are extensively used for the conformational analysis of organic compounds in the liquid state through empirical Karplus equations. In contrast, there are no examples of such use for the structural investigation of solids. With the support of first principles calculations, we demonstrate here that ¹³ C-¹³ C ³ J coupling constants (³ J_CC ) measured on a series of isotopically enriched solid amino acids and sugars can be related to dihedral angles by a simple Karplus-like relationship, and we provide a parameterized Karplus function for the conformational analysis of organic molecular crystals. Under the experimental conditions discussed, torsional angles can be estimated from the experimental ³ J_CC values with an accuracy of 10° using this function. These results open new perspectives towards the use of ³ J_CC as a new analytical tool that could considerably simplify structure determination of functional organic solids.

Brute-force solvent suppression for DNP studies of powders at natural isotopic abundance

A method based on highly concentrated radical solutions is investigated for the suppression of the NMR signals arising from solvents that are usually used for dynamic nuclear polarization experiments. The presented method is suitable in the case of powders, which are impregnated with a radical-containing solution. It is also demonstrated that the intensity and the resolution of the signals due to the sample of interest is not affected by the high concentration of radicals. The method proposed here is therefore valuable when sensitivity is of the utmost importance, namely samples at natural isotopic abundance.

Reducing the computational cost of NMR crystallography of organic powders at natural isotopic abundance with the help of 13 C-13 C dipolar couplings

Structure determination of functional organic compounds remains a formidable challenge when the sample exists as a powder. Nuclear magnetic resonance crystallography approaches based on the comparison of experimental and Density Functional Theory (DFT)-computed ¹ H chemical shifts have already demonstrated great potential for structure determination of organic powders, but limitations still persist. In this study, we discuss the possibility of using ¹³ C-¹³ C dipolar couplings quantified on powdered theophylline at natural isotopic abundance with the help of dynamic nuclear polarization, to realize a DFT-free, rapid screening of a pool of structures predicted by ab initio random structure search. We show that although ¹³ C-¹³ C dipolar couplings can identify structures possessing long range structural motifs and unit cell parameters close to those of the true structure, it must be complemented with other data to recover information about the presence and the chemical nature of the supramolecular interactions.

A Strategy for Probing the Evolution of Crystallization Processes by Low-Temperature Solid-State NMR and Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

Crystallization plays an important role in many areas, and to derive a fundamental understanding of crystallization processes, it is essential to understand the sequence of solid phases produced as a function of time. Here, we introduce a new NMR strategy for studying the time evolution of crystallization processes, in which the crystallizing system is quenched rapidly to low temperature at specific time points during crystallization. The crystallized phase present within the resultant "frozen solution" may be investigated in detail using a range of sophisticated NMR techniques. The low temperatures involved allow dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to be exploited to enhance the signal intensity in the solid-state NMR measurements, which is advantageous for detection and structural characterization of transient forms that are present only in small quantities. This work opens up the prospect of studying the very early stages of crystallization, at which the amount of solid phase present is intrinsically low.

Determining carbon-carbon connectivities in natural abundance organic powders using dipolar couplings

We present a solid-state NMR methodology capable of investigating the carbon skeleton of natural abundance organic powders. The methodology is based on the (13)C-(13)C dipolar coupling interaction and allows carbon-carbon connectivities to be unambiguously established for a wide range of organic solids. This methodology is particularly suitable for disordered solids, such as natural or synthetic macromolecules, which cannot be studied using conventional diffraction or NMR techniques.

Quantitative structural constraints for organic powders at natural isotopic abundance using dynamic nuclear polarization solid-state NMR spectroscopy

A straightforward method is reported to quantitatively relate structural constraints based on (13)C-(13)C double-quantum build-up curves obtained by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) solid-state NMR to the crystal structure of organic powders at natural isotopic abundance. This method relies on the significant gain in NMR sensitivity provided by DNP (approximately 50-fold, lowering the experimental time from a few years to a few days), and is sensitive to the molecular conformation and crystal packing of the studied powder sample (in this case theophylline). This method allows trial crystal structures to be rapidly and effectively discriminated, and paves the way to three-dimensional structure elucidation of powders through combination with powder X-ray diffraction, crystal-structure prediction, and density functional theory computation of NMR chemical shifts.

Probing crystal packing of uniformly (13)C-enriched powder samples using homonuclear dipolar coupling measurements

The relationship between the crystal packing of powder samples and long-range (13)C-(13)C homonuclear dipolar couplings is presented and illustrated for the case of uniformly (13)C-enriched L-alanine and L-histidine·HCl·H2O. Dipolar coupling measurement is based on the partial reintroduction of dipolar interactions by spinning the sample slightly off-magic-angle, while the coupling of interest for a given spin pair is isolated with a frequency-selective pulse. A cost function is used to correlate the so-derived dipolar couplings to trial crystal structures of the samples under study. This procedure allowed for the investigation of the l-alanine space group and L-histidine·HCl·H2O space group and unit-cell parameters.

Observing Apparent Nonuniform Sensitivity Enhancements in Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State NMR Spectra of Polymers

High-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) may enhance the sensitivity of solid-state NMR experiments on a wide range of systems, including synthetic polymers, owing to the transfer of electron spin polarization from radicals to nuclei upon microwave irradiation (usually at cryogenic temperatures). Provided that the radicals are homogeneously dispersed in the sample, a uniform DNP enhancement is expected for all the signals in the ¹³C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) spectrum. Here, we show that, in the case of methyl group containing polymers, a change in the cross-polarization (CP) dynamics induced by the moderate increase in sample temperature due to microwave irradiation may lead to the observation of apparent nonuniform enhancements in the DNP-enhanced ¹³C CPMAS spectra. This peculiar behavior should be accounted for when measuring ¹³C CP DNP enhancements on polymer materials, especially for heterogeneous polymer samples (for which truly nonuniform DNP enhancements could potentially be detected), or when quantitative results are sought.

Improved Structural Elucidation of Synthetic Polymers by Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is shown to greatly improve the solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) analysis of synthetic polymers by allowing structural assignment of intrinsically diluted NMR signals, which are typically not detected in conventional SSNMR. Specifically, SSNMR and DNP SSNMR were comparatively used to study functional polymers for which precise structural elucidation of chain ends is essential to control their reactivity and to eventually obtain advanced polymeric materials of complex architecture. Results show that the polymer chain-end signals, while hardly observable in conventional SSNMR, could be clearly identified in the DNP SSNMR spectrum owing to the increase in sensitivity afforded by the DNP setup (a factor ∼10 was achieved here), hence providing access to detailed structural characterization within realistic experimental times. This sizable gain in sensitivity opens new avenues for the characterization of "smart" functional polymeric materials and new analytical perspectives in polymer science.

Selective measurements of long-range homonuclear J-couplings in solid-state NMR

We demonstrate here that the principle of frequency-selective spin-echoes can be extended to the measurements of long-range homonuclear scalar J-couplings in the solid-state. Singly or doubly frequency-selective pulses were used to generate either a J-modulated experiment (S) or a reference experiment (S0). The combination of these two distinct experiments provides experimental data that, in favorable cases, are insensitive to incoherent relaxation effects, and which can be used to estimate long-range homonuclear J-couplings in multiple spin-systems. The concept is illustrated in the case of a uniformly (13)C and (15)N labeled sample of L-histidine, where the absolute value of homonuclear J-couplings between two spins separated by one, two or three covalent bonds are measured. Moreover, we show that a (2)J((15)N-C-(15)N) coupling as small as 0.9 Hz can be precisely measured with the method presented here.

Suppressing background signals in solid state NMR via the Electronic Mixing-Mediated Annihilation (EMMA) method

A simple procedure to effectively suppress background signals arising from various probe head components (e.g. stator, rotors, inserts) in solid state NMR is presented. Similarly to the ERETIC™ method, which uses an electronic signal as an internal standard for quantification, the proposed scheme is based on an electronically generated time-dependent signal that is injected into the receiver coil of the NMR probe head during signal acquisition. More specifically, the line shape, width and frequency of this electronic signal are determined by deconvoluting the background signal in the frequency domain. This deconvoluted signal is then converted into a time-dependent function through inverse Fourier Transform, which is used to generate the shaped pulse that is fed into the receiver coil during the acquisition of the Free Induction Decay. The power of the shaped pulse is adjusted to match the intensity of the background signal, and its phase is shifted by 180° with respect to the receiver reference phase. This so-called Electronic Mixing-Mediated Annihilation (EMMA) methodology is demonstrated here with a (13)C Single Pulse Magic Angle Spinning spectrum of an isotopically enriched (13)C histidine solid sample recorded under quantitative conditions.

Acquisition strategy to obtain quantitative diffusion NMR data

Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo (PGSE) diffusion NMR experiments constitute a powerful tool for analyzing complex mixtures because they can in principle separate the NMR spectra of each mixture component. However, because these experiments intrinsically rely on spin echoes, they are traditionally regarded as non-quantitative, due to the signal attenuation caused by longitudinal (T(1)) and transverse (T(2)) nuclear magnetic relaxation during the rather long delays of the pulse sequence. Alternatively to the quantitative Direct Exponential Curve Resolution Algorithm (qDECRA) approach proposed by Antalek (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (2006) 8402-8403), this work presents an acquisition strategy that renormalizes this relaxation attenuation using estimates of the T(1) and T(2) relaxation times for all the nuclei in the mixture, as obtained directly with the pulse sequence used to record the PGSE experiment. More specifically, it is shown that only three distinct PGSE experiments need to be recorded, each with a specific set of acquisition parameters. For small- and medium-sized molecules, only T(1) is required for obtaining accurate quantification. For larger molecular weight species, which typically exhibit short T(2) values, estimates of T(2) must also be included but only a rough estimation is required. This appears fortunate because these data are especially hard to obtain with good accuracy when analyzing homonuclear scalar-coupled systems. Overall, the proposed methodology is shown to yield a quantification accuracy of ±5%, both in the absence and in the presence of spectral overlap, giving rise--at least, in our hands--to results that superseded those achieved by qDECRA, while requiring substantially less experimental time.

Modulation of cross polarization in motionally averaged solids by Variable Angle Spinning NMR

In systems where the dipolar couplings are partially averaged by molecular motion, cross-polarization is modulated by sample spinning. The cross-polariation efficiency in Variable Angle Spinning (VAS) and Switched Angle Spinning (SAS) experiments on mobile samples is therefore strongly dependent on the spinning angle. We describe simulations and experimental measurements of these effects over a range of spinning angles from 0° to 90°.

Variable angle spinning (VAS) experiments for strongly oriented systems: methods development and preliminary results

Variable angle spinning (VAS) experiments provide a useful method for measuring long-range dipolar couplings and obtaining isotropic-anisotropic correlation spectra. These experiments make it possible to obtain correlations between isotropic and anisotropic spectra without altering the chemical composition of the sample. They also allow working with very strongly oriented systems that are not accessible to solution-state techniques. In this communication, we discuss recent hardware developments in our laboratory and show representative data from small molecules in strongly oriented liquid-crystalline samples.

Combined use of Overhauser spectroscopy and NMR diffusion experiments for mapping the hydration structure of nucleosides: structure and dynamics of uridine in water

Complementary results from 13C intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effects (NOE), 1H-13C heteronuclear Overhauser spectroscopy (HOSEY) and 1H-NMR diffusion measurements were used for probing the structure of the first solvation shell of uridine in water. It is demonstrated that a cyclic dihydrate is formed. The two water molecules produce two hydrogen bonds with the two oxygen atoms from the pyrimidine ring and accept only one hydrogen bond from the amide proton. The dihydrate has only a short lifetime as compared with the rotational correlation time of the free nucleoside. The chemical exchange constant of the amide proton with water is then estimated by diffusion experiments. The results are consistent with previous data obtained for uracil in water and provide interesting information about water accessibility in nucleic acid bases.

Determining chemical exchange rates of the uracil labile protons by NMR diffusion experiments

The exchange rates of the amido-protons of uracil with water were determined by NMR diffusion experiments and the results showed a factor 2 difference in lability between them, which was confirmed by more classical 2D-NMR exchange experiments.

NMR diffusion and nuclear Overhauser investigation of the hydration properties of thymine: influence of the methyl group

The absence of preferential hydration in thymine and its lowest water accessibility with respect to uracil were evidenced by NMR diffusion and HOESY experiments; the hydration differences observed between these pyrimidine bases were attributed to the electronic rather than steric properties of the methyl group.

Identification of Two Isomers from an Organic Mixture by Double-Stimulated-Echo NMR and Construction of the DOSY Spectra by the Regularized Resolvent Transform Method

DOSY-NMR experiments were used to characterize two structural isomers that have different shapes, but identical mass fragmentation patterns, from an organic mixture. It is shown that the spherical molecule diffuses faster than the ellipsoidal one. This distinct behaviour is tentatively explained in terms of microfriction effects from the solvent. Finally, to increase the resolution and efficiency of the 2D DOSY map construction, the data were treated with the regularized resolvent transform method. This method provides good separation for mildly overlapped peaks and requires fewer points than other classical DOSY processing methods.