0000000000040151

AUTHOR

Tobias F. Sjolander

Two-dimensional single- and multiple-quantum correlation spectroscopy in zero-field nuclear magnetic resonance.

We present single- and multiple-quantum correlation $J$-spectroscopy detected in zero ($<\!\!1$~$\mu$G) magnetic field using a \Rb vapor-cell magnetometer. At zero field the spectrum of ethanol appears as a mixture of \carbon isotopomers, and correlation spectroscopy is useful in separating the two composite spectra. We also identify and observe the zero-field equivalent of a double-quantum transition in ${}^{13}$C$_2$-acetic acid, and show that such transitions are of use in spectral assignment. Two-dimensional spectroscopy further improves the high resolution attained in zero-field NMR since selection rules on the coherence-transfer pathways allow for the separation of otherwise overlappi…

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Transition-Selective Pulses in Zero-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

We use low-amplitude, ultralow frequency pulses to drive nuclear spin transitions in zero and ultralow magnetic fields. In analogy to high-field NMR, a range of sophisticated experiments becomes available as these allow narrow-band excitation. As a first demonstration, pulses with excitation bandwidths 0.5–5 Hz are used for population redistribution, selective excitation, and coherence filtration. These methods are helpful when interpreting zero- and ultralow-field NMR spectra that contain a large number of transitions.

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13C-Decoupled J-Coupling Spectroscopy Using Two-Dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at Zero-Field

We present a two-dimensional method for obtaining 13C-decoupled, 1H-coupled nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra in zero magnetic field using coherent spin-decoupling. The result is a spectrum determined only by the proton–proton J-coupling network. Detection of NMR signals in zero magnetic field requires at least two different nuclear spin species, but the proton J-spectrum is independent of isotopomer, thus potentially simplifying spectra and thereby improving the analytical capabilities of zero-field NMR. The protocol does not rely on a difference in Larmor frequency between the coupled nuclei, allowing for the direct determination of J-coupling constants between chemically equivalen…

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Molecular parity nonconservation in nuclear spin couplings

The weak interaction does not conserve parity, which is apparent in many nuclear and atomic phenomena. However, thus far, parity nonconservation has not been observed in molecules. Here we consider nuclear-spin-dependent parity nonconserving contributions to the molecular Hamiltonian. These contributions give rise to a parity nonconserving indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling which can be distinguished from parity conserving interactions in molecules of appropriate symmetry, including diatomic molecules. We estimate the magnitude of the coupling, taking into account relativistic corrections. Finally, we propose and simulate an experiment to detect the parity nonconserving coupling using liqu…

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Measurement of untruncated nuclear spin interactions via zero- to ultralow-field nuclear magnetic resonance

Zero- to ultra-low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (ZULF NMR) provides a new regime for the measurement of nuclear spin-spin interactions free from effects of large magnetic fields, such as truncation of terms that do not commute with the Zeeman Hamiltonian. One such interaction, the magnetic dipole-dipole coupling, is a valuable source of spatial information in NMR, though many terms are unobservable in high-field NMR, and the coupling averages to zero under isotropic molecular tumbling. Under partial alignment, this information is retained in the form of so-called residual dipolar couplings. We report zero- to ultra-low-field NMR measurements of residual dipolar couplings in acetonitrile…

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Zero- to Ultralow-Field NMR Spectroscopy of Small Biomolecules.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a well-established analytical technique used to study chemicals and their transformations. However, high-field NMR spectroscopy necessitates advanced infrastructure, and even cryogen-free benchtop NMR spectrometers cannot be readily assembled from commercially available components. We demonstrate construction of a portable zero-field NMR spectrometer employing a commercially available magnetometer and investigate its applications in analytical chemistry. In particular, J-spectra of small representative biomolecules [13C]-formic acid, [1-13C]-glycine, [2,3-13C]-fumarate, and [1-13C]-d-glucose were acquired, and an approach relying on the prese…

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Nuclear magnetic resonance at millitesla fields using a zero-field spectrometer

We describe new analytical capabilities for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments in which signal detection is performed with chemical resolution (via spin-spin J couplings) in the zero to ultra-low magnetic field region, below 1μT. Using magnetic fields in the 100μT to 1mT range, we demonstrate the implementation of conventional NMR pulse sequences with spin-species selectivity.

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