High-resolution NMR in inhomogeneous fields

Enhancing the resolution of 1H and 13C solid-state NMR spectra by reduction of anisotropic bulk magnetic susceptibility broadening

We demonstrate that natural isotopic abundance 2D heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) solid-state NMR spectra can be used to significantly reduce or eliminate the broadening of ¹H and ¹³C solid-state NMR spectra of organic solids due to anisotropic bulk magnetic susceptibility (ABMS). ABMS often manifests in solids with aromatic groups, such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and inhomogeneously broadens the NMR peaks of all nuclei in the sample. Inhomogeneous peaks with full widths at half maximum (FWHM) of ∼1 ppm typically result from ABMS broadening and the low spectral resolution impedes the analysis of solid-state NMR spectra. ABMS broadening of solid-state NMR spectra has previously been eliminated using 2D multiple-quantum correlation experiments, or by performing NMR experiments on diluted materials or single crystals. However, these experiments are often infeasible due to their poor sensitivity and/or provide limited gains in resolution. 2D ¹H-¹³C HETCOR experiments have previously been applied to reduce susceptibility broadening in paramagnetic solids and we show that this strategy can significantly reduce ABMS broadening in diamagnetic organic solids. Comparisons of 1D solid-state NMR spectra and ¹H and ¹³C solid-state NMR spectra obtained from 2D ¹H-¹³C HETCOR NMR spectra show that the HETCOR spectrum directly increases resolution by a factor of 1.5 to 8. The direct gain in resolution is determined by the ratio of the inhomogeneous ¹³C/¹H linewidth to the homogeneous ¹H linewidth, with the former depending on the magnitude of the ABMS broadening and the strength of the applied field and the latter on the efficiency of homonuclear decoupling. The direct gains in resolution obtained using the 2D HETCOR experiments are better than that obtained by dilution. For solids with long proton longitudinal relaxation times, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) was applied to enhance sensitivity and enable the acquisition of 2D ¹H-¹³C HETCOR NMR spectra. 2D ¹H-¹³C HETCOR experiments were applied to resolve and partially assign the NMR signals of the form I and form II polymorphs of aspirin in a sample containing both forms. These findings have important implications for ultra-high field NMR experiments, optimization of decoupling schemes and assessment of the fundamental limits on the resolution of solid-state NMR spectra.

Toward high-resolution NMR spectroscopy of microscopic liquid samples

A longstanding limitation of high-resolution NMR spectroscopy is the requirement for samples to have macroscopic dimensions. Commercial probes, for example, are designed for volumes of at least 5 μL, in spite of decades of work directed toward the goal of miniaturization. Progress in miniaturizing inductive detectors has been limited by a perceived need to meet two technical requirements: (1) minimal separation between the sample and the detector, which is essential for sensitivity, and (2) near-perfect magnetic-field homogeneity at the sample, which is typically needed for spectral resolution. The first of these requirements is real, but the second can be relaxed, as we demonstrate here. By using pulse sequences that yield high-resolution spectra in an inhomogeneous field, we eliminate the need for near-perfect field homogeneity and the accompanying requirement for susceptibility matching of microfabricated detector components. With this requirement removed, typical imperfections in microfabricated components can be tolerated, and detector dimensions can be matched to those of the sample, even for samples of volume ≪5 μL. Pulse sequences that are robust to field inhomogeneity thus enable small-volume detection with optimal sensitivity. We illustrate the potential of this approach to miniaturization by presenting spectra acquired with a flat-wire detector that can easily be scaled to subnanoliter volumes. In particular, we report high-resolution NMR spectroscopy of an alanine sample of volume 500 pL.

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy in inhomogeneous fields

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy, providing information on chemical shifts, J coupling constants, multiplet patterns, and relative peak areas, is a mainstream tool for analysis of molecular structures, conformations, compositions, and dynamics. Generally, a homogeneous magnetic field is a prerequisite for obtaining high-resolution NMR information. Magnetic field inhomogeneity, whether from non-ideal experimental conditions or from intrinsic magnetic susceptibility discontinuities in samples, represents a hurdle for applications of high-resolution NMR. Numerous techniques have been proposed for measuring high-resolution NMR spectra free from the influence of inhomogeneous magnetic fields. Besides developments and improvements in NMR instrumentation, various types of experimental approaches have been established for recovering NMR information in inhomogeneous magnetic fields. Three main types are systematically described in this review. In addition, other high-resolution NMR approaches or data processing methods are also briefly described. All high-resolution NMR approaches covered in this review have individual advantages and disadvantages in practical applications, and no one technique is applicable to all practical circumstances. Hence, they are complementary for high-resolution NMR applications in inhomogeneous fields. The underlying mechanisms of these approaches are presented, together with analyses of their applicability and efficiency.

High-resolution localized spatiotemporal encoding correlated spectra under inhomogeneous magnetic fields via asymmetrical gradient encoding/decoding

Applications of conventional localized nuclear magnetic resonance correlated spectroscopy are restrained by long acquisition times and poor performance under inhomogeneous magnetic fields. Here, a method that combines the spatiotemporal encoding technique with the localization technique and implements the encoding and decoding in unison with suitable asymmetrical gradients is proposed to obtain high-resolution localized correlated spectra under inhomogeneous fields in greatly reduced times. Experiments on phantom solutions prove its insensitivity to linear field inhomogeneities along three orthogonal axes. Moreover, this method is applied to adipose study of marrow tissue with resolution improvements. The proposed method may offer promising perspectives for fast analyses of biological tissues.

Fast acquisition of high-resolution NMR spectra in inhomogeneous fields via intermolecular double-quantum coherences

A pulse sequence, IDEAL-II, is proposed based on the concept of intermolecular dipolar-interaction enhanced all lines [Z. Chen et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 446 (2004)] for obtaining one-dimensional (1D) high-resolution liquid NMR spectra in inhomogeneous fields via two-dimensional acquisitions. With the new acquisition scheme, the range of magnetic field inhomogeneity rather than chemical shift is sampled in the indirect dimension. This enables a great reduction in acquisition time and amount of data, much improved over the original IDEAL implementation. It is applicable to both isolated and J-coupled spin systems in liquid. For the latter, apparent J coupling constants are magnified threefold in spectra obtained with this sequence. This allows a more accurate measurement of J coupling constants in the cases of small J coupling constants or large inhomogeneous fields. Analytical expression was derived based on intermolecular multiple-quantum coherence treatments. Solution samples that were purposely deshimmed and biological samples with intrinsic field inhomogeneities were tested. Experimental results demonstrate that this sequence retains useful structural information including chemical shifts, relative peak areas, and multiplet patterns of J coupling even when the field inhomogeneity is severe enough to almost erase all spectroscopic information with conventional 1D single-quantum coherence techniques. This sequence is more applicable to weakly coupled and uncoupled spin systems, potentially useful for studying metabolites in in vivo NMR spectroscopy and for characterizing technologically important new materials in combinatorial chemistry.

High-resolution NMR spectra under inhomogeneous fields via intermolecular double-quantum coherences

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for analyzing molecular structures and compositions. Line-widths of conventional liquid NMR signals are directly proportional to the overall magnetic field inhomogeneity the sample experiences. In many circumstances, spatial and temporal homogeneity of the magnetic field is degraded. In this paper, a modified pulse sequence based on intermolecular double-quantum coherences (iDQCs) was proposed to obtain 1D high-resolution NMR spectra under inhomogeneous fields using 2D acquisition. Analytical expressions were derived from the intermolecular multiple-quantum coherence (iMQC) treatments. Both experimental and simulated spectra provide high-resolution 1D projection spectra similar to conventional 1D high-resolution spectra. Moreover, the apparent J coupling constants are threefold magnified, which allows a more accurate measurement of small J coupling constants.

High-resolution intermolecular zero-quantum coherence spectroscopy under inhomogeneous fields with effective solvent suppression

Intermolecular zero-quantum coherences (iZQCs) are not susceptible to magnetic field inhomogeneities significantly larger than the dipolar correlation distance and can be used to obtain 1D high-resolution spectra in an inhomogeneous field. However, with the iZQC methods proposed previously, residual conventional single-quantum coherences (SQCs) originating mainly from solvent resonance result in strong t(1) ridge noises. A modified HOMOGENIZED with an intermolecular double-quantum filter (iDQF), named iDQF-HOMOGENIZED, is presented in this work to suppress the residual conventional SQC signals as well as solvent iZQC signals. The solvent-suppression efficiency of the iDQF-HOMOGENIZED is analyzed and a thorough comparison of the new sequence with several relevant pulse sequences is made. Dramatic resolution enhancement and solvent suppression in the measurements of a piece of grape sarcocarp suggest potential applications of the method in in vivo spectroscopy.

Spatially encoded pulse sequences for the acquisition of high resolution NMR spectra in inhomogeneous fields

We have recently proposed a protocol for retrieving nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra based on a spatially-dependent encoding of the MR interactions. It has also been shown that the spatial selectivity with which spins are manipulated during such encoding opens up new avenues towards the removal of magnetic field inhomogeneities; not by demanding extreme Bo field uniformities, but rather by compensating for the dephasing effects introduced by the field distribution at a radiofrequency excitation and/or refocusing level. The present study discusses in further detail a number of strategies deriving from this principle, geared at acquiring both uni- as well as multi-dimensional spectroscopic data at high resolution conditions. Different variants are presented, tailored according to the relative sensitivity and chemical nature of the spin system being explored. In particular a simple multi-scan experiment is discussed capable of affording substantial improvements in the spectral resolution, at nearly no sensitivity or scaling penalties. This new compensation scheme is therefore well-suited for the collection of high-resolution data in low-field systems possessing limited signal-to-noise ratios, where magnetic field heterogeneities might present a serious obstacle. Potential areas of applications of these techniques include high-field in vivo NMR studies in regions near tissue/air interfaces, clinical low field MR spectroscopy on relatively large off-center volumes difficult to shim, and ex situ NMR. The principles of the different compensation methods are reviewed and experimentally demonstrated for one-dimensional inhomogeneities; further improvements and extensions are briefly discussed.

High-Resolution NMR Spectroscopy with a Portable Single-Sided Sensor

We report construction of a portable nuclear magnetic resonance sensor with a single-sided open probe design. The resulting magnetic field inhomogeneity is compensated by a pulse sequence that takes advantage of parallel inhomogeneity in the applied radio frequency field. We can thereby acquire fluorine-19 spectra of liquid fluorocarbons with 8 parts per million resolution, surmounting the long-standing obstacle of obtaining chemical shift information with open probe instruments.

Spatial Encoding and the Acquisition of High-Resolution NMR Spectra in Inhomogeneous Magnetic Fields

A scheme enabling the acquisition of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra within inhomogeneous magnetic fields is introduced and exemplified. The scheme is based on the spatial encoding protocol recently introduced for collecting multidimensional NMR data within a single scan, which retrieves spectral information via interference phenomena between spin packets located at distinct positions within the sample. This in turn enables compensating for field inhomogeneities over the sample as a whole by shifting the phases of the radio-frequency pulses involved in the spatial encoding, rather than by demanding an extreme uniformity in the employed magnetic field. The upper tolerable field inhomogeneity limit thus becomes orders of magnitude higher than that in conventional time-domain acquisitions. No particular spatial dependencies are demanded by the new scheme, which can yield its high-resolution results on a single-scan basis.

High-resolution NMR correlation spectra of disordered solids

We show how high-resolution NMR spectra can be obtained for solids for which the spectra are normally broadened due to structural disorder. The method relies on correlations in the chemical shifts between pairs of coupled spins. It is found experimentally that there are strong correlations in the chemical shifts between neighboring spins in both phosphorus-31 and carbon-13 spectra. These correlations can be exploited not only to provide resolution in two-dimensional spectra, but also to yield "chains" of correlated chemical shifts, constituting a valuable new source of structural information for disordered materials.

Two-dimensional high-resolution NMR spectra in matched B(0) and B(1) field gradients

In a recent publication we presented a method to obtain highly resolved NMR spectra in the presence of an inhomogeneous B(0) field with the help of a matched RF gradient. If RF gradient pulses are combined with "ideal" 90 degrees pulses to form inhomogeneous z rotation pulses, the line broadening caused by the B(0) gradient can be refocused, while the full chemical shift information is maintained. This approach is of potential use for NMR spectroscopy in an inhomogeneous magnetic field produced by an "ex-situ" surface spectrometer. In this contribution, we extend this method toward two-dimensional spectroscopy with high resolution in one or both dimensions. Line narrowing in the indirect dimension can be achieved by two types of nutation echoes, thus leading to depth-sensitive NMR spectra with full chemical shift information. If the nutation echo in the indirect dimension is combined with a stroboscopic acquisition using inhomogeneous z-rotation pulses, highly resolved two-dimensional correlation spectra can be obtained in matched field gradients. Finally, we demonstrate that an INEPT coherence transfer from proton to carbon spins is possible in inhomogeneous B(0) fields. Thus, it is possible to obtain one-dimensional (13)C NMR spectra with increased sensitivity and two-dimensional HETCOR spectra in the presence of B(0) gradients of 0.4 mT/cm. These schemes may be of some value for ex-situ NMR analysis of materials and biological systems.

Approach to high-resolution ex situ NMR spectroscopy

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments are typically performed with samples immersed in a magnet shimmed to high homogeneity. However, there are many circumstances in which it is impractical or undesirable to insert objects or subjects into the bore of a high-field magnet. Here we present a methodology based on an adaptation of nutation echoes that provides resolved spectra in the presence of matched inhomogeneous static and radiofrequency fields, thereby opening the way to high-resolution ex situ NMR. The observation of chemical shifts is regained through the use of multiple-pulse sequences of correlated, composite z-rotation pulses, producing resolved NMR spectra of liquid samples.