High-resolution magic angle spinning description of the interaction states and their kinetics among basic solutes and functionalized silica materials.

Modeling of the interaction is crucial to understanding and predicting chromatography. However, the complexity and variety of the grafted motifs render the creation of an accurate model overwhelmingly challenging, so that most often the classification of column separation properties is described by monitoring the retention times of carefully selected control molecules. We analyzed here the characteristics of the interplay of compounds of basic nature by (1)H HRMAS NMR, which provide relevant descriptors for products with pharmaceutical properties, with chromatographic phases for Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography. Eight grafted silica phases were selected, differing to enhance specific structural properties (monomeric and polymeric grafts, endcapping or not, carbon content, alkyl with polar embedded group or alkyl bonded chain, chemical nature of end capping, native silica). These materials were put in interaction with five basic molecules, previously chosen as probes for the evaluation of efficient base deactivated liquid stationary phases using five theoretical molecular descriptors to cover a large scale of molecular volume, polar surface area, LogP, hydrogen-bond donor capacity and finally hydrogen-bond acceptor capacity. (1)H HRMAS NMR was capable of describing qualitatively a wealth of interaction states, characterized both thermodynamically and kinetically. In one case (penbutolol) up to five interaction states could be differentiated. Variable temperature experiments revealed the complexity of the retention process on grafted silica as in some cases the kinetics of the interaction is shown to slow down on increasing the temperature.

Chromatographic-nuclear magnetic resonance can provide a prediction of high-pressure liquid chromatography shape selectivity tests.

NMR diffusometry has been recently demonstrated as a means of investigating the mobility variations of solutes induced by chromatographic phases (under the acronym chromatographic-NMR). Particularly, a given compound has its average diffusivity reduced proportionally to its affinity towards the solid. In this work we propose the first comparison of chromatographic-NMR and tests for assessment of column performance, to investigate to what measure the novel approach could provide an assay of the outcome of a given stationary phase without the need of packing the relative column. Specifically, using bulk materials, we reproduce with very good agreement a shape selectivity test as reported in the catalog of a column producer, consisting of four probe molecules, applied to two different stationary phases.

Chromatographic NMR in NMR solvents.

Recently, it was demonstrated that pseudo-chromatographic NMR experiments could be performed using typical chromatographic solids and solvents. This first setup yielded improved separation of the spectral components of the NMR spectra of mixtures using PFG self-diffusion measurements. The method (dubbed Chromatographic NMR) was successively shown to possess, in favorable cases, superior resolving power on non-functionalized silica, compared to its LC counterpart. To further investigate the applicability of the method, we studied here the feasibility of Chromatographic NMR in common deuterated solvents. Two examples are provided, using deuterated chloroform and water, for homologous compounds soluble in these solvents, namely aromatic molecules and alcohols, respectively.

Pulsed field gradient magic angle spinning NMR self-diffusion measurements in liquids.

Several investigations have recently reported the combined use of pulsed field gradient (PFG) with magic angle spinning (MAS) for the analysis of molecular mobility in heterogeneous materials. In contrast, little attention has been devoted so far to delimiting the role of the extra force field induced by sample rotation on the significance and reliability of self-diffusivity measurements. The main purpose of this work is to examine this phenomenon by focusing on pure liquids for which its impact is expected to be largest. Specifically, we show that self-diffusion coefficients can be accurately determined by PFG MAS NMR diffusion measurements in liquids, provided that specific experimental conditions are met. First, the methodology to estimate the gradient uniformity and to properly calibrate its absolute strength is briefly reviewed and applied on a MAS probe equipped with a gradient coil aligned along the rotor spinning axis, the so-called 'magic angle gradient' coil. Second, the influence of MAS on the outcome of PFG MAS diffusion measurements in liquids is investigated for two distinct typical rotors of different active volumes, 12 and 50 microL. While the latter rotor led to totally unreliable results, especially for low viscosity compounds, the former allowed for the determination of accurate self-diffusion coefficients both for fast and slowly diffusing species. Potential implications of this work are the possibility to measure accurate self-diffusion coefficients of sample-limited mixtures or to avoid radiation damping interferences in NMR diffusion measurements. Overall, the outlined methodology should be of interest to anyone who strives to improve the reliability of MAS diffusion studies, both in homogeneous and heterogeneous media.