Proton NMR Signals Research Articles

Synthesis and characterization of functional thermoresponsive photoactive copolymers and study of their thermal and photoluminescence properties

ABSTRACT Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-disperse yellow 7 methacrylate) (PNIPAM) copolymers were synthesized by radical polymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide with disperse yellow 7 methacrylate using 2,2/-Azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. N-isopropyl acrylamide is a thermoresponsive monomer, and disperse yellow 7 methacrylate is a photoactive monomer. The synthesized photoactive and thermoresponsive copolymers were characterized by FTIR, NMR, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer with a temperature variation. A proton NMR signal at 8.16 ppm is observed for aromatic protons surrounded by an azo (-N=N-) group. The peak that appeared at 4.0 ppm is due to the CH-CONH group. The amide group proton of CONH appeared at 8.16 ppm. The molecular weights of homopolymers (like PNIPAM and PDY7MA) and their copolymers (PNIPDY) were observed to be 104 and 103 Da, respectively. The optical band gaps for synthesized copolymers, PNIPDY-1B, PNIPDY-2B, and PNIPDY-3B, are 2.98 eV, 2.95 eV, and 2.91 eV, respectively. The multiple emission spectra were observed at 407 nm, 428 nm, and 460 nm for the excitation energy of 365 nm due to the n-π* and π-π* transitions of the azobenzene chromophore. Thermal properties were also studied using TGA analysis. Stimuli-responsive polymers are widely used in optoelectronics and photonics, such as optical switching, optical information storage devices, liquid crystal display technology, and diffractive optical elements.

A Biochemical Deconstruction-Based Strategy to Assist the Characterization of Bacterial Electric Conductive Filaments.

Periplasmic nanowires and electric conductive filaments made of the polymeric assembly of c-type cytochromes from Geobacter sulfurreducens bacterium are crucial for electron storage and/or extracellular electron transfer. The elucidation of the redox properties of each heme is fundamental to the understanding of the electron transfer mechanisms in these systems, which first requires the specific assignment of the heme NMR signals. The high number of hemes and the molecular weight of the nanowires dramatically decrease the spectral resolution and make this assignment extremely complex or unattainable. The nanowire cytochrome GSU1996 (~42 kDa) is composed of four domains (A to D) each containing three c-type heme groups. In this work, the individual domains (A to D), bi-domains (AB, CD) and full-length nanowire were separately produced at natural abundance. Sufficient protein expression was obtained for domains C (~11 kDa/three hemes) and D (~10 kDa/three hemes), as well as for bi-domain CD (~21 kDa/six hemes). Using 2D-NMR experiments, the assignment of the heme proton NMR signals for domains C and D was obtained and then used to guide the assignment of the corresponding signals in the hexaheme bi-domain CD. This new biochemical deconstruction-based procedure, using nanowire GSU1996 as a model, establishes a new strategy to functionally characterize large multiheme cytochromes.

Determination of the Oil Content of Sunflower Seeds Using Natural Samples of Sunflower Oil: on the Example of the Calibration of a Pulsed NMR Analyzer

One of the main parameters of sunflower seeds is its oil content. This characteristic is mandatory for certifica[1]tion of agricultural products and assessment of their value. IR spectroscopy and pulsed NMR methods are widely used to determine the oil content.The purpose of the research was to scientifically and practically substantiate the possibility of using sunflower oil samples for calibrating NMR analyzers, identifying and assessing the quality of oilseeds and products of their processing based on the NMR method. The comparison of the results of various options for the calibration of a pulsed NMR analyzer for determining the oil content of sunflower seeds was carried out. The first option was to measure the NM relaxation characteristics of oil protons from prepared samples of sunflower seeds, followed by determination of their oil content by exhaustive extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus, construction of a calibration equation based on the obtained data, and entering its coefficients into the program of NMR analyzers.The resulting calibration was the base one, with which other calibration options were compared. The second option was to use for calibrating the NMR analyzer various samples of sunflower oil obtained by pressing from sunflower seeds of the same varieties and hybrids, that were used for the first calibration option, as well as sunflower oil samples purchased in a commercial network. Five samples evenly distributed in the range from 2.000 g to 7.000 g with an accuracy of 0.001 g were taken from each oil sample using laboratory scales, and the amplitudes of proton NMR signals were measured in them. The dependency between the oil mass of the analyzed samples and the amplitude of proton NMR signals in them was graphed. Comparison of the obtained calibration dependences showed their close nature. Mathematical calculations have shown that the use of sunflower oil for the calibration of NMR analyzers does not lead to an increase in the error in the measurement results of the oil content of sunflower seeds compared to the first option of the calibration.The practical significance of the research will considerably simplify the calibration process, reduce the calibration time from 3–4 days to 3–4 hours, and eliminate the use of toxic solvents and additional expensive equipment without a significant change in the error in determining the oil content of sunflower seeds by NMR.

Praseodymium Metallacrown-Based NMR Probe for Enantioselective Discrimination of Mandelate Anions in Water.

Recently, the enhanced interest in water-soluble aminohydroximate Ln(III)-Cu(II) metallacrowns (MC) is largely due to their fascinating structural chemistry, diverse properties and ease of synthesis. We examined the water-soluble praseodymium(III) alaninehydroximate complex Pr(H2O)4[15-MCCu(II)Alaha-5]·3Cl (1) as a highly effective chiral lanthanide shift reagent for NMR analysis of the biologically relevant (R/S)-mandelate (MA) anions in aqueous media. The R-MA and S-MA enantiomers can be easily discriminated in the presence of small (1.2-6.2 mol %) amounts of MC 1 by the 1H NMR signals of multiple protons exhibiting an enantiomeric shift difference (ΔΔδ) of 0.06 ppm up to 0.31 ppm. Additionally, a possibility of coordination of MA to the metallacrown was investigated by the ESI-MS technique and a Density Functional Theory modeling of the molecular electrostatic potential and noncovalent interactions.

N-heterocyclic carbenes with three and six fluorous ponytails and their highly fluorophilic Rh and Ir complexes

Reactions of 1-methylimidazole and 1-(1-methylethyl)imidazole with (3-iodopropyl)tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)silane gave the corresponding 1-alkyl-3-(3-(tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl) silyl) propyl) imidazolium iodides 1 and 2. Reaction of imidazole in excess with (3-iodopropyl)tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)silane afforded 1-(3-(tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl) silyl) propyl) imidazole 3 which was further reacted with (3-iodopropyl)tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)silane to produce the doubly tagged 1,3-bis[3-(tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl) silyl) propyl] imidazolium iodide 4 and by anion exchange a tetrafluoroborate salt 5. The prepared imidazolium iodides 1,2, and 4 were then used as precursors in synthesis of chlorido(cycloocta-1,5-diene)rhodium or -iridium complexes bearing Nheterocyclic carbenes with one 3-[tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)silyl]propyl-substituent and methyl-, 1-methylethyl-and another 3-[tris(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)silyl]propyl-substituent on nitrogens, 6 – 11. The metal complexes were equimolar mixtures of conformational enantiomers as was best documented by the 1H NMR signals of diastereotopic CH2 protons next to nitrogen. Fluorophilicity fi as the natural logarithm of partition coefficient Pi between fluorous and organic phase of the complexes was determined in the standard solvent system (perfluoro)methylcyclohexane/toluene. All the complexes are fluorophilic with variation of fi between 0.96 and 4.06, the complexes with high values may be classified as highly fluorophilic (heavy fluorous).

Binding Between Antibiotics and Polystyrene Nanoparticles Examined by NMR.

Elucidating the interactions between plastic nanoparticles and small molecules is important to understanding these interactions as they occur in polluted waterways. For example, plastic that breaks down into micro- and nanoscale particles will interact with small molecule pollutants that are also present in contaminated waters. Other components of natural water, such as dissolved organic matter, will also influence these interactions. Here we use a collection of complementary NMR techniques to examine the binding between polystyrene nanoparticles and three common antibiotics, belonging to a class of molecules that are expected to be common in polluted water. Through examination of proton NMR signal intensity, relaxation times, saturation-transfer difference (STD) NMR, and competition STD-NMR, we find that the antibiotics have binding strengths in the order amoxicillin < metronidazole ≪ levofloxacin. Levofloxacin is able to compete for binding sites, preventing the other two antibiotics from binding. The presence of tannic acid disrupts the binding between levofloxacin and the polystyrene nanoparticles, but does not influence the binding between metronidazole and these nanoparticles.

Thermodynamics and Spectroscopy of Halogen- and Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes of Haloforms with Aromatic and Aliphatic Amines.

Similarities and differences of halogen and hydrogen bonding were explored via UV–Vis and 1H NMR measurements, X-ray crystallography and computational analysis of the associations of CHX3 (X=I, Br, Cl) with aromatic (tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine) and aliphatic (4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane) amines. When the polarization of haloforms was taken into account, the strengths of these complexes followed the same correlation with the electrostatic potentials on the surfaces of the interacting atoms. However, their spectral properties were quite distinct. While the halogen-bonded complexes showed new intense absorption bands in the UV–Vis spectra, the absorptions of their hydrogen-bonded analogues were close to the superposition of the absorption of reactants. Additionally, halogen bonding led to a shift in the NMR signal of haloform protons to lower ppm values compared with the individual haloforms, whereas hydrogen bonding of CHX3 with aliphatic amines resulted in a shift in the opposite direction. The effects of hydrogen bonding with aromatic amines on the NMR spectra of haloforms were ambivalent. Titration of all CHX3 with these nucleophiles produced consistent shifts in their protons’ signals to lower ppm values, whereas calculations of these pairs produced multiple hydrogen-bonded minima with similar structures and energies, but opposite directions of the NMR signals’ shifts. Experimental and computational data were used for the evaluation of formation constants of some halogen- and hydrogen-bonded complexes between haloforms and amines co-existing in solutions.

Synthesis of Finite Molecular Nanotubes by Connecting Axially Functionalized Macrocycles

Synthesis of Finite Molecular Nanotubes by Connecting Axially Functionalized Macrocycles

Backbone NMR resonance assignment of the intrinsically disordered UBact protein from Nitrospira nitrosa.

Ubiquitin signaling in eukaryotes is responsible for a variety of cellular outcomes, most notably proteasomal degradation. A recent bioinformatic study has revealed the existence of a new proteasomal operon in certain gram-negative bacteria phyla. This operon contains genes similar to those included in the prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) proteasomal operon, but do not themselves contain Pup. Instead, they encode for a protein termed UBact with 30% sequence similarity to Pup. Here, we report the near-complete NMR assignment of the backbone and partial assignment of the side chain chemical shifts of the UBact protein from Nitrospira nitrosa. The 1H-15N HSQC spectrum shows a narrow spread of proton NMR signals, characteristic of an intrinsically disordered protein. This chemical shift assignment will facilitate further NMR studies to explore the role of UBact in this new putative proteasomal operon.

Nuclear Overhauser spectroscopy in hyperpolarized water - chemical vs. magnetic exchange.

Dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP) is a versatile hyperpolarization technique to boost signal intensities in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The possibility to dissolve biomolecules in a hyperpolarized aqueous buffer under mild conditions has recently widened the scope of NMR by dDNP. The water-to-target hyperpolarization transfer mechanisms remain yet unclear, not least due to an often-encountered dilemma of dDNP experiments: The strongly enhanced signal intensities are accompanied by limited structural information as data acquisition is restricted to short time series of only one-dimensional spectra or a single correlation spectrum. Tackling this challenge, we combine dDNP with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and predictions of cross-relaxation rates to unravel the spin dynamics of magnetization flow in hyperpolarized solutions.

Unambiguous NMR Structural Determination of (+)-Catechin-Laccase Dimeric Reaction Products as Potential Markers of Grape and Wine Oxidation.

(+)-Catechin—laccase oxidation dimeric standards were hemi-synthesized using laccase from Trametes versicolor in a water-ethanol solution at pH 3.6. Eight fractions corresponding to eight potential oxidation dimeric products were detected. The fractions profiles were compared with profiles obtained with two other oxidoreductases: polyphenoloxidase extracted from grapes and laccase from Botrytis cinerea. The profiles were very similar, although some minor differences suggested possible dissimilarities in the reactivity of these enzymes. Five fractions were then isolated and analyzed by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The addition of traces of cadmium nitrate in the samples solubilized in acetone-d6 led to fully resolved NMR signals of phenolic protons, allowing the unambiguous structural determination of six reaction products, one of the fractions containing two enantiomers. These products can further be used as oxidation markers to investigate their presence and evolution in wine during winemaking and wine ageing.

Background-Free Proton NMR Spectroscopy with Radiofrequency Amplification by Stimulated Emission Radiation.

We report on the utility of Radiofrequency Amplification by Stimulated Emission Radiation (RASER) for background-free proton detection of hyperpolarized biomolecules. We performed hyperpolarization of ≈0.3 M ethyl acetate via pairwise parahydrogen addition to vinyl acetate. A proton NMR signal with signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 100 000 was detected without radio-frequency excitation at the clinically relevant magnetic field of 1.4 T using a standard (non-cryogenic) inductive detector with quality factor of Q=68. No proton background signal was observed from protonated solvent (methanol) or other added co-solvents such as ethanol, water or bovine serum. Moreover, we demonstrate RASER detection without radio-frequency excitation of a bolus of hyperpolarized contrast agent in biological fluid. Completely background-free proton detection of hyperpolarized contrast agents in biological media paves the way to new applications in the areas of high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and in vivo spectroscopy and imaging.

Background‐Free Proton NMR Spectroscopy with Radiofrequency Amplification by Stimulated Emission Radiation

AbstractWe report on the utility of Radiofrequency Amplification by Stimulated Emission Radiation (RASER) for background‐free proton detection of hyperpolarized biomolecules. We performed hyperpolarization of ≈0.3 M ethyl acetate via pairwise parahydrogen addition to vinyl acetate. A proton NMR signal with signal‐to‐noise ratio exceeding 100 000 was detected without radio‐frequency excitation at the clinically relevant magnetic field of 1.4 T using a standard (non‐cryogenic) inductive detector with quality factor of Q=68. No proton background signal was observed from protonated solvent (methanol) or other added co‐solvents such as ethanol, water or bovine serum. Moreover, we demonstrate RASER detection without radio‐frequency excitation of a bolus of hyperpolarized contrast agent in biological fluid. Completely background‐free proton detection of hyperpolarized contrast agents in biological media paves the way to new applications in the areas of high‐resolution NMR spectroscopy and in vivo spectroscopy and imaging.

Longitudinal relaxation rate measurements for different signals unveiled by nutation spectroscopy: Application to the characterization of two arrangements experienced by water in a clay network.

Nutation consists in monitoring the motion of nuclear magnetization under the application of a radiofrequency (rf) field. With an appropriate amplitude of the rf field, the nutation frequency depends on the NMR relaxation times. This property offers the possibility of differentiating species having the same Larmor frequency but differing by their relaxation times. This may occur for the composite proton NMR signal of water in complex systems. Separate nutation signals are thus observed with the possibility of measuring their longitudinal relaxation times by simply applying a saturation hard pulse, followed by an evolution interval, prior to the nutation sequence. This novel experiment has been used for studying the two sites existing for water in two kaolinite samples (one hydrated after stabilization of several months and the other nonhydrated). It turns out that water in these two sites differs essentially by its transverse relaxation time. Moreover, recovery is surprisingly biexponential for these two signals. A proper analysis of results obtained by this saturation-recovery nutation experiment provides not only the specific longitudinal relaxation rates of water in these two sites but also information about the averaging which occurs at long evolution times. This is discussed with regard of the structure and organization of the clay network. In particular, from relaxation rates at short evolution times, it is shown that this network is mainly constituted of ordered platelets, with a relatively weak proportion of randomly distributed platelets.

Toward Continuous-Flow Hyperpolarisation of Metabolites via Heterogenous Catalysis, Side-Arm-Hydrogenation, and Membrane Dissolution of Parahydrogen.

Side-arm hydrogenation (SAH) by homogeneous catalysis has extended the reach of the parahydrogen enhanced NMR technique to key metabolites such as pyruvate. However, homogeneous hydrogenation requires rapid separation of the dissolved catalyst and purification of the hyperpolarised species with a purity sufficient for safe in-vivo use. An alternate approach is to employ heterogeneous hydrogenation in a continuous-flow reactor, where separation from the solid catalysts is straightforward. Using a TiO2 -nanorod supported Rh catalyst, we demonstrate continuous-flow parahydrogen enhanced NMR by heterogeneous hydrogenation of a model SAH precursor, propargyl acetate, at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Parahydrogen gas was introduced into the flowing solution phase using a novel tube-in-tube membrane dissolution device. Without much optimization, proton NMR signal enhancements of up to 297 (relative to the thermal equilibrium signals) at 9.4 Tesla were shown to be feasible on allyl-acetate at a continuous total yield of 33 %. The results are compared to those obtained with the standard batch-mode technique of parahydrogen bubbling through a suspension of the same catalyst.

2D NMR spectroscopy of refolding RNase Sa using polarization transfer from hyperpolarized water

Polarization transfer from hyperpolarized water through proton exchange is used to enhance the NMR signals of amide protons of the Ribonuclease Sa protein. Spectra of the refolding protein are measured within 6 s after dilution of the denaturant urea, at urea-dependent folding rates adjusted in the range of 0.3–0.8 s−1. Peak patterns including a mixture of folded and unfolded protein at different ratios are observed. The changes in the observed signals indicate that each spectrum accesses a different point in the partial completion of the folding. A comparison to simulated 2D NMR spectra suggests a lower polarization transfer efficiency from water when the protein folds slowly, which may result from the molecular motions in the unfolded protein and the absence of long-range contacts. The ability to acquire 2D NMR spectra under different refolding conditions may open a new avenue for residue specific characterization of the folding process.

NMR-Based Chemical Profiling, Isolation and Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Potential of the Diterpenoid Siderol from Cultivated Sideritis euboea Heldr.

Diterpenes are characteristic compounds from the genus Sideritis L., possessing an array of biological activities. Siderol is the main constituent of the ent-kaurene diterpenes in Sideritis species. In order to isolate the specific compound and evaluate for the first time its cytotoxic activity, we explored the dichloromethane extract of cultivated Sideritis euboea Heldr. To track the specific natural bioactive agent, we applied NMR spectroscopy to the crude plant extract, since NMR can serve as a powerful and rapid tool both to navigate the targeted isolation process of bioactive constituents, and to also reveal the identity of bioactive components. Along these lines, from the rapid 1D 1H NMR spectrum of the total crude plant extract, we were able to determine the characteristic proton NMR signals of siderol. Furthermore, with the same NMR spectrum, we were able to categorize several secondary metabolites into chemical groups as a control of the isolation process. Therefore, this non-polar extract was explored, for the first time, revealing eleven compounds—one fatty acid ester; 2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethylstearate (1), three phytosterols; β-sitosterol (2), stigmasterol (3), and campesterol (4); one triterpenoid; ursolic acid (5), four diterpenoids; siderol (6), eubol (7), eubotriol (8), 7-epicandicandiol (9) and two flavonoids; xanthomicrol (10) and penduletin (11). The main isolated constituent was siderol. The antiproliferative potential of siderol was evaluated, using the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay, on three human cancer cell lines DLD1, HeLa, and A549, where the IC50 values were estimated at 26.4 ± 3.7, 44.7 ± 7.2, and 46.0 ± 4.9 μΜ, respectively. The most potent activity was recorded in the human colon cancer cell line DLD1, where siderol exhibited the lowest IC50. Our study unveiled the beneficial potential of siderol as a remarkable cytotoxic agent and the significant contribution of NMR spectroscopy towards the isolation and identification of this potent anticancer agent.

Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Analysis of Two Commonly Used Gastrointestinal Tract Drugs.

Two fast and precise quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic methods (qNMR) were established and evaluated for the determination of ondansetron (OND) and omeprazole (OMP) in bulk drugs and their pharmaceutical dosage forms. NMR spectra were established using dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO-d6) as a solvent and phloroglucinol as the internal standard. Proton NMR signals at 3.743, 3.811, and 5.670 ppm were used for quantitative monitoring purposes corresponding to OND, OMP, and phloroglucinol, respectively. In this study, the methods linearity, accuracy, limit of quantification, limit of detection, stability, and precision were validated as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. Linearity ranges were 0.3-10 mg for OND and 1-10 mg for OMP. The student t-test and F-test were used for statistical evaluation. Herein, the proposed methods are useful and can be a successful practical appliance for OND and OMP determination in drug substances and their dosage forms.

Rare Au···H Interactions in Gold(I) Complexes of Bulky Phosphines Derived from 2,6-Dibenzhydryl-4-methylphenyl Core.

Gold(I) complexes of sterically demanding phosphines derived from 2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-methylphenyl core viz: 2,6-dibenzhydryl-N,N-bis((diphenylphosphane)-methyl)-4-methylaniline (1), (2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-methylphenyl)-diphenylphosphane (2), N-(2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-methylphenyl)-1,1-diphenylphosphanamine (3), and (2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-methylphenoxy)-diphenylphosphane (4) are described. The reaction of 1 with 2 equiv of [AuCl(SMe2)] in dichloromethane yielded [{AuCl}2{Ar*N(CH2PPh2)2}] (5), which on further treatment with 2 equiv of AgSbF6 and 1 equiv of 1 produced 12-membered dimeric complex [Au2{μ-(Ar*N(CH2PPh2)2)2}][(SbF6)2] (6). A similar reaction of 5 with AgSbF6 in CH3CN afforded [{Au(NCCH3)}2{Ar*N(CH2PPh2)2}][(SbF6)2] (7). Equimolar reactions of bulky phosphines 2, 3, and 4 with [AuCl(SMe2)] resulted in [AuCl(PPh2Ar*)] (8), [AuCl(PPh2NHAr*)] (9), and [AuCl(PPh2OAr*)] (10). Complexes 9 and 10 on treatment with AgSbF6 in CH3CN produced the cationic complexes [Au(NCCH3)(PPh2NHAr*)][(SbF6)] (11) and [Au(NCCH3)(PPh2OAr*)][(SbF6)] (12), respectively. The molecular structure of complex 6 revealed the presence of a strong intramolecular aurophilic interaction with a Au···Au distance of 2.9720(4) Å. Careful analysis of molecular structure of 5 revealed the presence of rare Au···H-C (sp3) interactions between the gold(I) atom and one of the methylene protons of -NCH2PPh2 groups. The solution 1H NMR signals of the methylene protons of 5 showed a considerable downfield shift (∼1 ppm) compared to that of the free ligand indicating their interactions (Au···H) with the Au atom. Complexes 8 and 10 also showed Au···H interactions in their molecular structures. The existence of the Au···H interaction was studied by variable temperature 1H NMR data in the case of complex 5 and further evinced by the QTAIM analysis in complexes 5, 8, and 10.

NMR and NQR study of polymorphism in carbamazepine

Four polymorphic forms of carbamazepine have been simultaneously investigated by 1H NMR and 14N NQR. The results show that the proton spin-lattice relaxation time and the 14N NQR spectra can be used to differentiate between various polymorphic forms. Spontaneous transformations from Form II to Form III and from Form IV to Form III have been investigated through their influence on the 14N NQR spectrum and the proton NMR signal and spin-lattice relaxation. The 14N NQR spectra prove that in the observed polymorphic forms of carbamazepine the hydrogen bonded dimers of carbamazepine molecules are the basic elements of the crystal structure. The dimers are centrosymmetric in Forms III and IV and in metastable polymorphic form occurring during the transformation of Form IV to Form III. Two non-equivalent molecular positions are observed in Form II with the occupation ratio 1:1 and in Form I with the occupation ratio either 2:1 or 3:1. The 14N NQR data are related to the published crystal structures. Possible reasons for the mismatch of the X-ray and NQR data for Forms I and II are discussed.