High-resolution calcium-43 NMR in solids

Abstract

The resolution afforded by alkaline earth ion NMR in solution is often insufficient to obtain individual lines for chemically distinct sites, particularly in macromolecular environments (Z-4). The problem inherent in a small chemical shift range of about 70 ppm is aggravated further by broadening associated with the often complex spin relaxation driven by the nuclear electric quadrupole interactions with fluctuating electric field gradients (5). The dynamical part of the broadening may be defeated if the nucleus to be observed is immobilized. The solid-state experiment has been successful on a number of nonintegral spin quadrupole nuclei where the central (+f c-) -1) transition is exploited and the residual second-order quadrupole broadenings are minimized by rapid sample rotation at the magic angle (6-9). However, the possible gain in resolution is made at the cost of decreased sensitivity because only the central transition in a ; or $ manifold is observed (IO). In principle, the loss may be regained using magnetization-transfer methods such as those exploited by Pines, Gibby, and Waugh (II). Double-resonance approaches have been discussed for calcium fluoride (12,13), and a direct detection of calcium-43 reported using adiabatic demagnetization methods at low temperature (14). We report here observation of the high-resolution calcium-43 NMR spectrum using CP-MASS methods which demonstrates the feasibility of the more routine experiment in a noncubic environment and defines several of the critical experimental parameters. Figure 1 shows the CP-MASS calcium-43 NMR spectrum of calcium acetate obtained at 4.7 T using a spectrometer constructed in this laboratory. The relevant experimental parameters are summarized in the caption. The proton-calcium doubleresonance probe employed a Doty Scientific stator and rotor coupled to the proton tuning elements using a half wavelength coaxial line tapped at the proton null point for injection and detection of the calcium-43 resonance frequency. The spectrometer used Amplifier Research (AR-200L) and Henry Radio power amplifiers, Nicolet-GE 1280 data system, and a quadrature receiver built in the laboratory. The phase-shifting circuitry was designed after a very similar version by Robert MacKay, Monsanto Chemical Company. The match for the magnetization transfer was found by changing the power level on the calcium side while keeping the proton field fixed at 46 kHz; the optimum cross-polarization rate was found when the strength of the calcium rf field was approximately the same as that which gave w1 for calcium of 45 kHz in a saturated aqueous solution of calcium chloride. For calcium acetate, optimum contact times were long, in the tens of milliseconds range as shown in Fig. 2.