Yusuke Nishiyama

Very fast magic angle spinning 1H-14N 2D solid-state NMR: Sub-micro-liter sample data collection in a few minutes

Substantial resolution and sensitivity enhancements of solid-state (1)H detected (14)N HMQC NMR spectra at very fast MAS rates up to 80 kHz, in a 1mm MAS rotor, are presented. Very fast MAS enhances the (1)H transverse relaxation time and efficiently decouples the (1)H-(14)N interactions, both effects leading to resolution enhancement. The micro-coil contributes to the sensitivity increase via strong (14)N rf fields and high sensitivity per unit volume. (1)H-(14)N HMQC 2D spectra of glycine and glycyl-L-alanine at 70 kHz MAS at 11.7 T are observed in a few minutes with a sample volume of 0.8 μL.

Sensitivity and resolution enhanced solid-state NMR for paramagnetic systems and biomolecules under very fast magic angle spinning.

Recent research in fast magic angle spinning (MAS) methods has drastically improved the resolution and sensitivity of NMR spectroscopy of biomolecules and materials in solids. In this Account, we summarize recent and ongoing developments in this area by presenting (13)C and (1)H solid-state NMR (SSNMR) studies on paramagnetic systems and biomolecules under fast MAS from our laboratories. First, we describe how very fast MAS (VFMAS) at the spinning speed of at least 20 kHz allows us to overcome major difficulties in (1)H and (13)C high-resolution SSNMR of paramagnetic systems. As a result, we can enhance both sensitivity and resolution by up to a few orders of magnitude. Using fast recycling (∼ms/scan) with short (1)H T1 values, we can perform (1)H SSNMR microanalysis of paramagnetic systems on the microgram scale with greatly improved sensitivity over that observed for diamagnetic systems. Second, we discuss how VFMAS at a spinning speed greater than ∼40 kHz can enhance the sensitivity and resolution of (13)C biomolecular SSNMR measurements. Low-power (1)H decoupling schemes under VFMAS offer excellent spectral resolution for (13)C SSNMR by nominal (1)H RF irradiation at ∼10 kHz. By combining the VFMAS approach with enhanced (1)H T1 relaxation by paramagnetic doping, we can achieve extremely fast recycling in modern biomolecular SSNMR experiments. Experiments with (13)C-labeled ubiquitin doped with 10 mM Cu-EDTA demonstrate how effectively this new approach, called paramagnetic assisted condensed data collection (PACC), enhances the sensitivity. Lastly, we examine (13)C SSNMR measurements for biomolecules under faster MAS at a higher field. Our preliminary (13)C SSNMR data of Aβ amyloid fibrils and GB1 microcrystals acquired at (1)H NMR frequencies of 750-800 MHz suggest that the combined use of the PACC approach and ultrahigh fields could allow for routine multidimensional SSNMR analyses of proteins at the 50-200 nmol level. Also, we briefly discuss the prospects for studying bimolecules using (13)C SSNMR under ultrafast MAS at the spinning speed of ∼100 kHz.

Rapid measurement of multidimensional 1H solid-state NMR spectra at ultra-fast MAS frequencies.

A novel method to realize rapid repetition of (1)H NMR experiments at ultra-fast MAS frequencies is demonstrated. The ultra-fast MAS at 110kHz slows the (1)H-(1)H spin diffusion, leading to variations of (1)H T1 relaxation times from atom to atom within a molecule. The different relaxation behavior is averaged by applying (1)H-(1)H recoupling during relaxation delay even at ultra-fast MAS, reducing the optimal relaxation delay to maximize the signal to noise ratio. The way to determine optimal relaxation delay for arbitrary relaxation curve is shown. The reduction of optimal relaxation delay by radio-frequency driven recoupling (RFDR) was demonstrated on powder samples of glycine and ethenzamide with one and multi-dimensional NMR measurements.

Proton-nitrogen-14 overtone two-dimensional correlation NMR spectroscopy of solid-sample at very fast magic angle sample spinning.

(1)H-(14)N overtone (OT) heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC) experiment at very fast magic angle spinning (MAS) is reported. The (14)N OT coherence is excited and reconverted by (14)N OT pulses at twice the (14)N Larmor frequency. The OT coherence is free from the first order quadrupolar broadening. MAS further removes the broadening due to chemical shift anisotropy (CSA). With a small 0.75 mm MAS rotor and coil system, very fast MAS up to 90 kHz and very strong rf field are achieved, enhancing the sensitivity of indirect (14)N OT observation via protons. In comparison with (1)H-(14)N double-quantum HMQC, an enhancement factor of 1.8 is obtained for glycine with the (14)N OT irradiation. The bandwidth in the (14)N OT dimension is limited due to long (14)N OT pulses.

Encapsulating Mobile Proton Carriers into Structural Defects in Coordination Polymer Crystals: High Anhydrous Proton Conduction and Fuel Cell Application

We describe the encapsulation of mobile proton carriers into defect sites in nonporous coordination polymers (CPs). The proton carriers were encapsulated with high mobility and provided high proton conductivity at 150 °C under anhydrous conditions. The high proton conductivity and nonporous nature of the CP allowed its application as an electrolyte in a fuel cell. The defects and mobile proton carriers were investigated using solid-state NMR, XAFS, XRD, and ICP-AES/EA. On the basis of these analyses, we concluded that the defect sites provide space for mobile uncoordinated H3PO4, H2PO4(-), and H2O. These mobile carriers play a key role in expanding the proton-hopping path and promoting the mobility of protons in the coordination framework, leading to high proton conductivity and fuel cell power generation.

Fast magic-angle sample spinning solid-state NMR at 60–100 kHz for natural abundance samples

In spite of tremendous progress made in pulse sequence designs and sophisticated hardware developments, methods to improve sensitivity and resolution in solid-state NMR (ssNMR) are still emerging. The rate at which sample is spun at magic angle determines the extent to which sensitivity and resolution of NMR spectra are improved. To this end, the prime objective of this article is to give a comprehensive theoretical and experimental framework of fast magic angle spinning (MAS) technique. The engineering design of fast MAS rotors based on spinning rate, sample volume, and sensitivity is presented in detail. Besides, the benefits of fast MAS citing the recent progress in methodology, especially for natural abundance samples are also highlighted. The effect of the MAS rate on (1)H resolution, which is a key to the success of the (1)H inverse detection methods, is described by a simple mathematical factor named as the homogeneity factor k. A comparison between various (1)H inverse detection methods is also presented. Moreover, methods to reduce the number of spinning sidebands (SSBs) for the systems with huge anisotropies in combination with (1)H inverse detection at fast MAS are discussed.

Proton-Detected Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of Bone with Ultrafast Magic Angle Spinning

While obtaining high-resolution structural details from bone is highly important to better understand its mechanical strength and the effects of aging and disease on bone ultrastructure, it has been a major challenge to do so with existing biophysical techniques. Though solid-state NMR spectroscopy has the potential to reveal the structural details of bone, it suffers from poor spectral resolution and sensitivity. Nonetheless, recent developments in magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR technology have made it possible to spin solid samples up to 110 kHz frequency. With such remarkable capabilities, 1H-detected NMR experiments that have traditionally been challenging on rigid solids can now be implemented. Here, we report the first application of multidimensional 1H-detected NMR measurements on bone under ultrafast MAS conditions to provide atomistic-level elucidation of the complex heterogeneous structure of bone. Our investigations demonstrate that two-dimensional 1H/1H chemical shift correlation spectra for bone are obtainable using fp-RFDR (finite-pulse radio-frequency-driven dipolar recoupling) pulse sequence under ultrafast MAS. Our results infer that water exhibits distinct 1H−1H dipolar coupling networks with the backbone and side-chain regions in collagen. These results show the promising potential of proton-detected ultrafast MAS NMR for monitoring structural and dynamic changes caused by mechanical loading and disease in bone.

Finite-pulse radio frequency driven recoupling with phase cycling for 2D 1H/1H correlation at ultrafast MAS frequencies

The first-order recoupling sequence radio frequency driven dipolar recoupling (RFDR) is commonly used in single-quantum/single-quantum homonuclear correlation 2D experiments under magic angle spinning (MAS) to determine homonuclear proximities. From previously reported analysis of the use of XY-based super-cycling schemes to enhance the efficiency of the finite-pulse-RFDR (fp-RFDR) pulse sequence, XY8(1)4 phase cycling was found to provide the optimum performance for 2D correlation experiments on low-γ nuclei. In this study, we analyze the efficiency of different phase cycling schemes for proton-based fp-RFDR experiments. We demonstrate the advantages of using a short phase cycle, XY4, and its super-cycle XY4(1)4 that only recouples the zero-quantum homonuclear dipolar coupling, for the fp-RFDR sequence in 2D (1)H/(1)H correlation experiments at ultrafast MAS frequencies. The dipolar recoupling efficiencies of XY4, XY4(1)4 and XY8(1)4 phase cycling schemes are compared based on results obtained from 2D (1)H/(1)H correlation experiments, utilizing the fp-RFDR pulse sequence, on powder samples of U-(13)C,(15)N-l-alanine, N-acetyl-(15)N-l-valyl-(15)N-l-leucine, and glycine. Experimental results and spin dynamics simulations show that XY4(1)4 performs the best when a high RF power is used for the 180° pulse, whereas XY4 renders the best performance when a low RF power is used. The effects of RF field inhomogeneity and chemical shift offsets are also examined. Overall, our results suggest that a combination of fp-RFDR-XY4(1)4 employed in the recycle delay with a large RF-field to decrease the recycle delay, and fp-RFDR-XY4 in the mixing period with a moderate RF-field, is a robust and efficient method for 2D single-quantum/single-quantum (1)H/(1)H correlation experiments at ultrafast MAS frequencies.

3D ¹⁵N/¹⁵N/¹H chemical shift correlation experiment utilizing an RFDR-based ¹H/¹H mixing period at 100 kHz MAS.

Homonuclear correlation NMR experiments are commonly used in the high-resolution structural studies of proteins. While (13)C/(13)C chemical shift correlation experiments utilizing dipolar recoupling techniques are fully utilized under MAS, correlation of the chemical shifts of (15)N nuclei in proteins has been a challenge. Previous studies have shown that the negligible (15)N-(15)N dipolar coupling in peptides or proteins necessitates the use of a very long mixing time (typically several seconds) for effective spin diffusion to occur and considerably slows down a (15)N/(15)N correlation experiment. In this study, we show that the use of mixing proton magnetization, instead of (15)N, via the recoupled (1)H-(1)H dipolar couplings enable faster (15)N/(15)N correlation. In addition, the use of proton-detection under ultrafast MAS overcomes the sensitivity loss due to multiple magnetization transfer (between (1)H and (15)N nuclei) steps. In fact, less than 300 nL (∼1.1 micromole quantity) sample is sufficient to acquire the 3D spectrum within 5 h. Our results also demonstrate that a 3D (15)N/(15)N/(1)H experiment can render higher resolution spectra that will be useful in the structural studies of proteins at ultrafast MAS frequencies. 3D (15)N/(15)N/(1)H and 2D radio frequency-driven dipolar recoupling (RFDR)-based (1)H/(1)H experimental results obtained from a powder sample of N-acetyla-L-(15)N-valyl-L-(15)N-leucine at 70 and 100kHz MAS frequencies are presented.

Study of the translational diffusion of the benzophenone ketyl radical in comparison with stable molecules in room temperature ionic liquids by transient grating spectroscopy

Transient grating (TG) spectroscopy has been applied to the photoinduced hydrogen-abstraction reaction of benzophenone (BP) in various kinds of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). After the photoexcitation of BP in RTILs, the formation of a benzophenone ketyl radical (BPK) was confirmed by the transient absorption method, and the TG signal was analyzed to determine the diffusion coefficients of BPK and BP. For comparison, diffusion coefficients of carbon monoxide (CO), diphenylacetylene (DPA), and diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) in various RTILs were determined by the TG method using the photodissociation reaction of DPCP. While the diffusion coefficients of the stable molecules BP, DPA, and DPCP were always larger than those predicted by the Stokes-Einstein (SE) relation in RTILs, that of BPK was much smaller than those of the stable molecules and relatively close to that predicted by the SE relation in all solvents. For the smallest molecule CO, the deviation from the SE relation was evident. The diffusion coefficients of stable molecules are better represented by a power law of the inverse of the viscosity when the exponent was less than unity. The ratios of the diffusion coefficient of BP to that of BPK were larger in RTILs (2.7-4.0) than those (1.4-2.3) in conventional organic solvents. The slow diffusion of BPK in RTILs was discussed in terms of the fluctuation of the local electric field produced by the surrounding solvent ions.