NMR Longitudinal Rotating Frame Relaxation Time (T1ρ) with a Weak Spin Locking Field as an Approach to Characterize Solid-State Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients: Proof of Concept.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) longitudinal rotating frame relaxation time (T1ρ), rarely used in low-field NMR, can be more effective than conventional T1 and T2 relaxation times to differentiate polymorphic forms of solid pharmaceuticals. This could be attributed to T1ρ sensibility to structural and molecular dynamics that can be enhanced by changing the strength of the oscillating magnetic field (B1) of spinlock pulses. Here, we compared the capacity of T1, T2, and T1ρ to differentiate inactive (A) and active (C) crystalline forms of the World Health Organization essential drug Mebendazole. The results showed that T1 and T2 values of both forms were statistically identical at 0.47 T. Conversely, T1ρ of both forms measured with weak spinlock B1 fields, ranging from 0.08 to 0.80 mT were statistically different in the same spectrometer. The T1ρ also has the limit of detection to detect the presence of at least 10% of inactive A form in the active C form. Therefore, T1ρ, measured with weak spinlock B1 fields can be an effective, streamlined, and complementary approach for characterizing not only solid active pharmaceutical ingredients but other solid-state materials as well.

Mechanically robust cationic cellulose nanofibril 3D scaffolds with tuneable biomimetic porosity for cell culture.

3D foam scaffolds were produced in a "bottom-up" approach from lyophilised cationic cellulose nanofibril (CCNF) dispersions and emulsions (CCNF degree of substitution 23.0 ± 0.9%), using a directional freezing/lyophilisation approach, producing internal architectures ranging from aligned smooth walled micro channels, mimicking vascularised tissue, to pumice-like wall textures, reminiscent of porous bone. The open, highly porous architecture of these biomimetic scaffolds included mesopores within the walls of the channels. A combination of SEM and NMR cryoporometry and relaxometry was used to determine the porosity at different length scales: CCNF foams with aligned channels had an average macropore (channel) size of 35 ± 9 µm and a mesopore (wall) diameter of 26 ± 2 nm, while CCNF foams produced from directional freezing and lyophilisation of Pickering emulsions had mesoporous walls (5 ± 3 µm) in addition to channels (54 ± 20 µm). Glyoxal crosslinking both enhanced robustness and stiffness, giving Young's moduli of 0.45 to 50.75 MPa for CCNF foams with degrees of crosslinking from 0 to 3.04 mol%. Porosity and channels are critical scaffold design elements for transport of nutrients and waste products, as well as O2/CO2 exchange. The viability of MG-63 cells was enhanced on crosslinked, mechanically stiff scaffolds, indicating that these exquisitely structured, yet robust, foams could provide biomaterial scaffolds suitable for industrial applications requiring 3D cell culturing.

On resonance phase alternated CWFP sequences for rapid and simultaneous measurement of relaxation times.

T1 and T2 relaxation times have been frequently used as probes for physical-chemical properties in several time-domain NMR applications (TD-NMR) such as food, polymers and petroleum industries. T2 measurements are usually achieved using the traditional Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence because it is a fast and robust method. On the other hand, the traditional methods for determining T1, i.e., inversion and saturation recovery, are time-consuming, driving several authors to develop rapid 1D and 2D methods to obtain T1 and T2 or T1/T2 ratio. However, these methods usually require sophisticated processing and/or high signal to noise ratio (SNR). This led us to develop simple methods for rapid and simultaneous determination of T1 and T2 using Continuous Wave Free Precession (CWFP) and Carr-Purcell Continuous Wave Free Precession (CP-CWFP) pulse sequences. Nevertheless, a drawback of these sequences is that they require specific adjustment of the frequency offset or the time interval between pulses (Tp). In this paper we present an alternative form of these sequences, named CWFPx-x, CP-CWFPx-x, where a train of π/2 pulses with phases alternated by π enable performing the experiments on-resonance and independently of Tp, when Tp

Quantitative (13)C MultiCP solid-state NMR as a tool for evaluation of cellulose crystallinity index measured directly inside sugarcane biomass.

BACKGROUND: The crystallinity index (CI) is often associated with changes in cellulose structure after biological and physicochemical pretreatments. While some results obtained with lignocellulosic biomass demonstrate a progressive increase in the CI as a function of pretreatments, it is also shown that the CI can significantly vary depending on the choice of the measurement method. Besides, the influence of the CI on the recalcitrance of biomass has been controversial for a long time, but the most recent results tend to point out that the efficiency of pretreatments in reducing the recalcitrance is not clearly correlated with the decrease of the CI. Much of this controversy is somewhat associated with the inability to distinguish between the CI of the cellulose inside the biomass and the CI of the full biomass, which contains other amorphous components such as lignin and hemicellulose. RESULTS: Cross polarization by multiple contact periods (Multi-CP) method was used to obtain quantitative (13)C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectra of sugarcane bagasse biomass submitted to two-step pretreatments and/or enzymatic hydrolysis. By comparing the dipolar filtered Multi-CP (13)C NMR spectra of untreated bagasse samples with those of samples submitted to acid pretreatment, we show that a 1% H2SO4-assisted pretreatment was very effective in removing practically all the hemicellulose signals. This led us to propose a spectral editing procedure based on the subtraction of MultiCP spectra of acid-treated biomass from that of the extracted lignin, to obtain a virtually pure cellulose spectrum. Based on this idea, we were able to evaluate the CI of the native cellulose inside the sugarcane bagasse biomass. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the validity of the proposed method as a tool for evaluating the variations in the CI of the cellulose inside biomasses of similar kinds. Despite a clear increase in the CI of biomass as measured by X-ray diffraction, no significant variations were observed in the CI of the cellulose inside the biomass after a particular 1% H2SO4/0.25-4% NaOH chemical-assisted pretreatments. The CI of cellulose inside the biomass solid fraction that remained after the enzymatic hydrolysis was also evaluated. The results show a slight increase in crystallinity.

A double-component Anderson-Weiss approach for describing NMR signals of mobile SIn units: application to constant-time DIPSHIFT experiments.

A composed Gaussian local field is proposed to describe the effect of molecular motions on NMR signals of SIn units (e.g., CHn or NHn), based upon the well-know Anderson-Weiss (AW) approximation. The approach is exemplified on constant-time recoupled dipolar chemical-shift correlation (tC-recDIPSHIFT) experiments, providing an analytical formula that can be used as a fitting function in studies of intermediate-regime motions. By comparison of analytical tC-recDIPSHIFT curves and dynamic spin dynamics simulations, we show that for heteronuclear spin pairs (SI system), the AW treatment assuming the usual Gaussian local field is accurate. However, the approximation fails for the case of SIn spin systems for motional rates higher than a few kHz. Based on earlier work of Terao et al., who proposed a decomposition of CHn dipolar powder patterns into to 2(n) spin-pair-type patterns, we propose an AW approach based upon a double-Gaussian local field. We derive an analytical formula for tC-recDIPSHIFT signals, and demonstrate its accuracy by comparison with simulations of several motional geometries and rates, and with experimental results for a model sample. The approach is not limited to the tC-recDIPSHIFT experiment and should be of general use in dipolar-coupling based experiments probing (partially) mobile SIn molecular moieties.

Recoupled separated-local-field experiments and applications to study intermediate-regime molecular motions.

A specific separated-local-field NMR experiment, dubbed Dipolar-Chemical-Shift Correlation (DIPSHIFT) is frequently used to study molecular motions by probing reorientations through the changes in XH dipolar coupling and T2. In systems where the coupling is weak or the reorientation angle is small, a recoupled variant of the DIPSHIFT experiment is applied, where the effective dipolar coupling is amplified by a REDOR-like π-pulse train. However, a previously described constant-time variant of this experiment is not sensitive to the motion-induced T2 effect, which precludes the observation of motions over a large range of rates ranging from hundreds of Hz to around a MHz. We present a DIPSHIFT implementation which amplifies the dipolar couplings and is still sensitive to T2 effects. Spin dynamics simulations, analytical calculations and experiments demonstrate the sensitivity of the technique to molecular motions, and suggest the best experimental conditions to avoid imperfections. Furthermore, an in-depth theoretical analysis of the interplay of REDOR-like recoupling and proton decoupling based on Average-Hamiltonian Theory was performed, which allowed explaining the origin of many artifacts found in literature data.

Correlation between molecular conformation, packing, and dynamics in oligofluorenes: a theoretical/experimental study.

Fluorene-based systems have shown great potential as components in organic electronics and optoelectronics (organic photovoltaics, OPVs, organic light emitting diodes, OLEDs, and organic transistors, OTFTs). These systems have drawn attention primarily because they exhibit strong blue emission associated with relatively good thermal stability. It is well-known that the electronic properties of polymers are directly related to the molecular conformations and chain packing of polymers. Here, we used three oligofluorenes (trimer, pentamer, and heptamer) as model systems to theoretically investigate the conformational properties of fluorene molecules, starting with the identification of preferred conformations. The hybrid exchange-correlation functional, OPBE, and ZINDO/S-CI showed that each oligomer exhibits a tendency to adopt a specific chain arrangement, which could be distinguished by comparing their UV/vis electronic absorption and (13)C NMR spectra. This feature was used to identify the preferred conformation of the oligomer chains in chloroform-cast films by comparing experimental and theoretical UV/vis and (13)C NMR spectra. Moreover, the oligomer chain packing and dynamics in the films were studied by DSC and several solid-state NMR techniques, which indicated that the phase behavior of the films may be influenced by the tendency that each oligomeric chain has to adopt a given conformation.

Chemical and morphological characterization of sugarcane bagasse submitted to a delignification process for enhanced enzymatic digestibility.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, biorefining of lignocellulosic biomass to produce multi-products such as ethanol and other biomaterials has become a dynamic research area. Pretreatment technologies that fractionate sugarcane bagasse are essential for the successful use of this feedstock in ethanol production. In this paper, we investigate modifications in the morphology and chemical composition of sugarcane bagasse submitted to a two-step treatment, using diluted acid followed by a delignification process with increasing sodium hydroxide concentrations. Detailed chemical and morphological characterization of the samples after each pretreatment condition, studied by high performance liquid chromatography, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, diffuse reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, is reported, together with sample crystallinity and enzymatic digestibility. RESULTS: Chemical composition analysis performed on samples obtained after different pretreatment conditions showed that up to 96% and 85% of hemicellulose and lignin fractions, respectively, were removed by this two-step method when sodium hydroxide concentrations of 1% (m/v) or higher were used. The efficient lignin removal resulted in an enhanced hydrolysis yield reaching values around 100%. Considering the cellulose loss due to the pretreatment (maximum of 30%, depending on the process), the total cellulose conversion increases significantly from 22.0% (value for the untreated bagasse) to 72.4%. The delignification process, with consequent increase in the cellulose to lignin ratio, is also clearly observed by nuclear magnetic resonance and diffuse reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy experiments. We also demonstrated that the morphological changes contributing to this remarkable improvement occur as a consequence of lignin removal from the sample. Bagasse unstructuring is favored by the loss of cohesion between neighboring cell walls, as well as by changes in the inner cell wall structure, such as damaging, hole formation and loss of mechanical resistance, facilitating liquid and enzyme access to crystalline cellulose. CONCLUSIONS: The results presented herewith show the efficiency of the proposed method for improving the enzymatic digestibility of sugarcane bagasse and provide understanding of the pretreatment action mechanism. Combining the different techniques applied in this work warranted thorough information about the undergoing morphological and chemical changes and was an efficient approach to understand the morphological effects resulting from sample delignification and its influence on the enhanced hydrolysis results.

Intermediate motions and dipolar couplings as studied by Lee-Goldburg cross-polarization NMR: Hartmann-Hahn matching profiles.

In this article, we evaluate the use of simple Lee-Goldburg cross-polarization (LG-CP) NMR experiments for obtaining quantitative information of molecular motion in the intermediate regime. In particular, we introduce the measurement of Hartmann-Hahn matching profiles for the assessment of heteronuclear dipolar couplings as well as dynamics as a reliable and robust alternative to the more common analysis of build-up curves. We have carried out dynamic spin dynamics simulations in order to test the method's sensitivity to intermediate motion and address its limitations concerning possible experimental imperfections. We further demonstrate the successful use of simple theoretical concepts, most prominently Anderson-Weiss (AW) theory, to analyze the data. We further propose an alternative way to estimate activation energies of molecular motions, based upon the acquisition of only two LG-CP spectra per temperature at different temperatures. As experimental tests, molecular jumps in imidazole methyl sulfonate, trimethylsulfoxonium iodide, and bisphenol A polycarbonate were investigated with the new method.

Intermediate motions as studied by solid-state separated local field NMR experiments.

In this report, the application of a class of separated local field NMR experiments named dipolar chemical shift correlation (DIPSHIFT) for probing motions in the intermediate regime is discussed. Simple analytical procedures based on the Anderson-Weiss (AW) approximation are presented. In order to establish limits of validity of the AW based formulas, a comparison with spin dynamics simulations based on the solution of the stochastic Liouville-von-Neumann equation is presented. It is shown that at short evolution times (less than 30% of the rotor period), the AW based formulas are suitable for fitting the DIPSHIFT curves and extracting kinetic parameters even in the case of jumplike motions. However, full spin dynamics simulations provide a more reliable treatment and extend the frequency range of the molecular motions accessible by DIPSHIFT experiments. As an experimental test, molecular jumps of imidazol methyl sulfonate and trimethylsulfoxonium iodide, as well as the side-chain motions in the photoluminescent polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene], were characterized. Possible extensions are also discussed.

CONTRA: improving the performance of dynamic investigations in natural abundance organic solids by mirror-symmetric constant-time CODEX.

We present a minor but essential modification to the CODEX 1D-MAS exchange experiment. The new CONTRA method, which requires minor changes of the original sequence only, has advantages over the previously introduced S-CODEX, since it is less sensitive to artefacts caused by finite pulse lengths. The performance of this variant, including the finite pulse effect, was confirmed by SIMPSON calculations and demonstrated on a number of dynamic systems.