C. Fernandez

Triple, quintuple and higher order multiple quantum MAS NMR of quadrupolar nuclei.

The optimization of the coherence transfers involved in five, seven and nine-quantum versions of the recently discovered MQMAS technique, is analysed numerically. Data reported in this paper may serve as starting parameters for the experiment set up. An analysis of the intensity and resolution given by each type of experiment is performed, which confirms the need to use very high rf fields for MQ transfers. It follows that five-quantum is achievable rather easily but the use of seven and nine-quantum MAS experiments becomes increasingly difficult due to the demand for high rf power and decreasing sensitivity. The advantages of using the z-filter MQMAS method with respect to a two-pulse sequence are analysed. The method for qualitatively and quantitatively interpret the MQMAS spectra is described. The nature of the spinning side bands along the multiple quantum dimension is explained. It is shown that the rotor synchronization can be conveniently used to eliminate these side bands, but only for 3QMAS experiments. The use of the multiple-quantum method in combination with static samples and VAS, DAS and DOR techniques is finally discussed.

Multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning NMR with cross-polarization: Spectral editing of high-resolution spectra of quadrupolar nuclei

An experiment is presented that combines the multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning (MQMAS) technique with cross-polarization (CP). As a preliminary test of this new method, we measured and compared the 27Al 3QMAS and 19F-->27Al CP 3QMAS spectra of a fluorinated AlPO4 aluminophosphate. Complete discrimination between the fluorinated and nonfluorinated Al sites was easily achieved, which demonstrates the usefulness of CP MQMAS for spectral editing. Future applications of this experiment will include other spin pairs and heteronuclear correlation NMR spectroscopy.

Triple-quantum MAS-NMR of quadrupolar nuclei.

From two-dimensional multiquantum NMR spectra of quadrupolar nuclei, it is now possible to obtain much greater resolution than in a classical single-quantum magic-angle spinning or variable-angle spinning spectrum. We describe here a very simple pulse scheme which efficiently excites the desired multiquantum NMR coherence and a new acquisition procedure which yields to pure-absorption mode 2D spectra. Experimental spectra for 87Rb in polycrystalline rubidium nitrate illustrate the method.

Quantitative study of the short range order in B2O3 and B2S3 by MAS and two-dimensional triple-quantum MAS 11B NMR.

Two-dimensional multiple-quantum magic angle spinning (MQMAS) NMR and MAS NMR of 11B at various magnetic fields, were applied to elucidate the structure of vitreous (glassy) boron trioxide (v-B2O3), vitreous boron trisulfide (v-B2S3) and crystalline boron trisulfide (c-B2S3). These techniques, when combined with computer simulations of the resulting spectra, provide the isotropic chemical shifts and the quadrupole parameters, as well as a quantitative measure of the intensities of various boron resonances. The MAS NMR of v-B2O3 produced overlapping anisotropic lineshapes corresponding to the -1/2<-->1/2 transition in two distinct types of BO3 units with 3(+/-0.08):] intensity ratio. A combination of MAS and the multiple-quantum method resulted in a better resolved, isotropic 11B spectrum of v-B2O3. A remarkable enhancement of resolution of the MQMAS NMR proved instrumental in finding and identifying various impurities present in v-B2S3 and c-B2S3. In addition to the resonances from boron in two types of BS3 groups, four other structural units, BOS2, BO2S, BO3 and BS4, were elucidated from the spectra of vitreous and crystalline samples. The effects of various experimental parameters, such as the magnitude of the B0 and B1 fields, on the resolution of the MAS and MQMAS techniques are also shown.

The use of the consecutive adsorption of pyridine bases and carbon monoxide in the ir spectroscopic study of the accessibility of acid sites in microporous/mesoporous materials

A new approach to the evaluation of the accessibility of acid sites in microporous/mesoporous materials is developed and tested using a series of dealuminated mordenites. This approach is based on an IR-spectroscopic study of the consecutive adsorption of substituted alkylpyridines (pyridine, 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine, and 2,4,6-triethylpyridine) and carbon monoxide. This method allowed us to determine the strength and number of acid sites with various degrees of accessibility. The adsorption of 2,4,6-triethylpyridine on various types of materials is studied. The extinction coefficients of alkylpyridines are determined using a McBain balance placed in a cell for IR-spectroscopic measurements.

Continuous flow hyperpolarized 129Xe-MAS NMR studies of microporous materials

A magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR probe has been developed to allow in situ measurements of NMR spectra. Two applications are targeted with this device: i) nin situ and operando MAS NMR spectroscopy of working catalysts and ii) the hyperpolarized (HP) n129Xe spectroscopy of porous materials under MAS and continuous flow conditions. The construction of the MAS probe is described and the usefulness of this system is demonstrated by studying the adsorption of hyperpolarized xenon on AlPO-41 and ITQ-6 zeolites. The high stability of the HP xenon flow allowed us to perform two-dimensional exchange experiments under MAS conditions, in a short time and with very good resolution.

Determination of 51V quadrupole and chemical shift tensor orientations in V2O5 by analysis of magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra.

Magic-angle spinning (MAS) 51V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of V2O5 have been recorded at various fields to evidence the relative effects of the quadrupole interaction and electronic shielding at the nucleus. A refinement of the spectra using theoretical simulations has been performed assuming a simultaneous existence of these two anisotropic interactions. The relative orientation of the principal axes for both tensors has been obtained. The results agree with previous single-crystal studies. Reliability of the results is discussed. A fundamental indetermination of the actual relative tensor orientations remains, owing to the powder nature of the sample.

Diffusion of alkanes in molecular sieves evidence for confinement effects

Abstract Sorption kinetics, heats of sorption, NMR relaxation time measurements, and molecular graphics simulations support the proposal that confinement effects regulate the diffusional behavior of alkanes in zeolites (ZSM-5, ferrierite, mordenite, type Y) and other molecular sieves (e.g. ALPO-11). The results advocate the existence of a segmental diffusion mode. They also assess the floating and creeping molecule concepts for entities diffusing in pores of atomic size.

1D to 3D NMR study of microporous alumino-phosphate AlPO4-40

From one‐ to two‐ and three‐dimensional MAS NMR solid‐state experiments involving 31P and 27Al, we show that the structure of microporous alumino‐phosphate AlPO4‐40 contains at least four times more sites than expected, and we attribute two types of AlIV sites. The newly described 27Al‐31P MQ‐HMQC opens new possibilities of describing details of three‐dimensional bounded networks. Copyright

Structure analysis of the novel microporous aluminophosphate IST-1 using synchrotron powder diffraction data and HETCOR MAS NMR

Abstract A combination of advanced powder diffraction and NMR techniques have allowed the structure of the novel microporous aluminophosphate IST-1 ( | (CH3NH2)4(CH3NH3+)4(OH−)4 | [ Al12P12O48 ] ) to be elucidated. The framework structure was determined in the non-centrosymmetric space group Pca21 (a=9.61523(1) A, b=8.67024(1) A, c=16.21957(2) A) from high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data using the program FOCUS. Extra framework species were then located on difference electron density maps. A hydroxyl group was found to bridge between two of the framework Al atoms, and one methylamine species, presumably protonated, could be located in the channels where it H-bonds to three framework oxygens. The most unusual feature of the structure is the second methylamine molecule, which bonds directly to a framework Al atom. The structure is entirely consistent with 31P and 27Al MAS NMR studies, which showed there to be three P (all 4-coordinate) and three Al (one 4-, one 5- and one 6-coordinate) sites, and with 13C MAS NMR, which showed there to be two different types of methylamine species in equal amounts. Assignment of the 31P, 27Al and 13C MAS NMR signals could be deduced from the crystallographic data,31P-27Al HETCOR spectra and ab initio calculations.