High-Resolution Solid-State NMR Studies of Synthetic and Biological Macromolecules

Abstract

This chapter reviews the high-resolution solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of synthetic polymers and naturally occurring biological macromolecules with emphasis placed on revealing their conformations. A survey of high-resolution solid-state NMR studies of both types of macromolecular system has the advantage of being able to cover the topics of conformation and dynamics of polymers in general. A proportion of the studies reviewed have been devoted to the analysis of secondary structures in biological macromolecules, such as peptides, proteins, and polysaccharides, while the majority of the studies reviewed have been performed for the analysis of phase structure, the various modes of molecular motions, and their influence on the mechanical properties of synthetic polymers. The scope of this chapter is restricted mainly to studies of 13 C nuclei, although some studies using other rare spin 1/2 nuclei, such as 31 Po r 15 N are reviewed where appropriate. This is because the use of 13 C NMR is most suitable for organic macromolecules and the majority of studies on these subjects have been caried out by the means of 13 C NMR spectroscopy.