A novel multinuclear solid-state NMR approach for the characterization of kidney stones.

The spectroscopic study of pathological calcifications (including kidney stones) is extremely rich and helps to improve the understanding of the physical and chemical processes associated with their formation. While Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging and optical/electron microscopies are routine techniques in hospitals, there has been a dearth of solid-state NMR studies introduced into this area of medical research, probably due to the scarcity of this analytical technique in hospital facilities. This work introduces effective multinuclear and multidimensional solid-state NMR methodologies to study the complex chemical and structural properties characterizing kidney stone composition. As a basis for comparison, three hydrates (n=1, 2 and 3) of calcium oxalate are examined along with nine representative kidney stones. The multinuclear magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR approach adopted investigates the 1H, 13C, 31P and 31P nuclei, with the 1H and 13C MAS NMR data able to be readily deconvoluted into the constituent elements associated with the different oxalates and organics present. For the first time, the full interpretation of highly resolved 1H NMR spectra is presented for the three hydrates, based on the structure and local dynamics. The corresponding 31P MAS NMR data indicates the presence of low-level inorganic phosphate species; however, the complexity of these data make the precise identification of the phases difficult to assign. This work provides physicians, urologists and nephrologists with additional avenues of spectroscopic investigation to interrogate this complex medical dilemma that requires real, multitechnique approaches to generate effective outcomes.

Hydroxyapatites: Key Structural Questions and Answers from Dynamic Nuclear Polarization.

We demonstrate that NMR/DNP (Dynamic Nuclear Polarization) allows an unprecedented description of carbonate substituted hydroxyapatite (CHAp). Key structural questions related to order/disorder and clustering of carbonates are tackled using distance sensitive DNP experiments using 13C-13C recoupling. Such experiments are easily implemented due to unprecedented DNP gain (orders of magnitude). DNP is efficiently mediated by quasi one-dimensional spin diffusion through the hydroxyl columns present in the CHAp structure (thought of as "highways" for spin diffusion). For spherical nanoparticles and ϕ < 100 nm, it is numerically shown that spin diffusion allows their study as a whole. Most importantly, we demonstrate also that the DNP study at 100 K leads to data which are comparable to data obtained at room temperature (in terms of spin dynamics and line shape resolution). Finally, all 2D DNP experiments can be interpreted in terms of domains exhibiting well identified types of substitution: local order and carbonate clustering are clearly favored.

Interfacial Ca2+ environments in nanocrystalline apatites revealed by dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced 43Ca NMR spectroscopy.

The interfaces within bones, teeth and other hybrid biomaterials are of paramount importance but remain particularly difficult to characterize at the molecular level because both sensitive and selective techniques are mandatory. Here, it is demonstrated that unprecedented insights into calcium environments, for example the differentiation of surface and core species of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, can be obtained using solid-state NMR, when combined with dynamic nuclear polarization. Although calcium represents an ideal NMR target here (and de facto for a large variety of calcium-derived materials), its stable NMR-active isotope, calcium-43, is a highly unreceptive probe. Using the sensitivity gains from dynamic nuclear polarization, not only could calcium-43 NMR spectra be obtained easily, but natural isotopic abundance 2D correlation experiments could be recorded for calcium-43 in short experimental time. This opens perspectives for the detailed study of interfaces in nanostructured materials of the highest biological interest as well as calcium-based nanosystems in general.

Water-mediated structuring of bone apatite.

It is well known that organic molecules from the vertebrate extracellular matrix of calcifying tissues are essential in structuring the apatite mineral. Here, we show that water also plays a structuring role. By using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, wide-angle X-ray scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy to characterize the structure and organization of crystalline and biomimetic apatite nanoparticles as well as intact bone samples, we demonstrate that water orients apatite crystals through an amorphous calcium phosphate-like layer that coats the crystalline core of bone apatite. This disordered layer is reminiscent of those found around the crystalline core of calcified biominerals in various natural composite materials in vivo. This work provides an extended local model of bone biomineralization.

New perspectives in the PAW/GIPAW approach: J(P-O-Si) coupling constants, antisymmetric parts of shift tensors and NQR predictions.

In 2001, Pickard and Mauri implemented the gauge including projected augmented wave (GIPAW) protocol for first-principles calculations of NMR parameters using periodic boundary conditions (chemical shift anisotropy and electric field gradient tensors). In this paper, three potentially interesting perspectives in connection with PAW/GIPAW in solid-state NMR and pure nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) are presented: (i) the calculation of J coupling tensors in inorganic solids; (ii) the calculation of the antisymmetric part of chemical shift tensors and (iii) the prediction of (14)N and (35)Cl pure NQR resonances including dynamics. We believe that these topics should open new insights in the combination of GIPAW, NMR/NQR crystallography, temperature effects and dynamics. Points (i), (ii) and (iii) will be illustrated by selected examples: (i) chemical shift tensors and heteronuclear (2)J(P-O-Si) coupling constants in the case of silicophosphates and calcium phosphates [Si(5)O(PO(4))(6), SiP(2)O(7) polymorphs and α-Ca(PO(3))(2)]; (ii) antisymmetric chemical shift tensors in cyclopropene derivatives, C(3)X(4) (X = H, Cl, F) and (iii) (14)N and (35)Cl NQR predictions in the case of RDX (C(3)H(6)N(6)O(6)), ß-HMX (C(4)H(8)N(8)O(8)), α-NTO (C(2)H(2)N(4)O(3)) and AlOPCl(6). RDX, ß-HMX and α-NTO are explosive compounds.

GIPAW (gauge including projected augmented wave) and local dynamics in 13C and 29Si solid state NMR: the study case of silsesquioxanes (RSiO1.5)8.

Octameric silsesquioxanes (RSiO(1.5))(8) are versatile and interesting nano building blocks, suitable for the synthesis of nanocomposites with controlled porosity. In this paper, we revisit the (29)Si and (13)C solid state NMR spectroscopy for this class of materials, by using GIPAW (gauge including projected augmented wave) first principles calculations [Pickard & Mauri, Phys. Rev. B, 2001, 63, 245101]. Full tensorial data, including the chemical shift anisotropies (CSA) and the absolute orientation of the corresponding principal axes systems (PAS), were calculated. Subsequent averaging of the calculated tensors (due to fast reorientation of the R groups around the Si-C bonds) allowed for the interpretation of the strong reduction of CSA and dipolar couplings for these derivatives. Good agreement was observed between the averaged calculated data and the experimental parameters. Interesting questions related to the interplay between X-ray crystallography and solid state NMR are raised and will be emphasized.

Studies of silicophosphate derivatives by 31P-->29Si CP MAS NMR.

We show that it is possible to efficiently transfer magnetization from 31P to 29Si, using variable amplitude CP MAS experiment. This experiment is demonstrated by using Si5O(PO4)6, the synthesis protocol of which is described. From the obtained results, we show that the experiment allows the spectral edition of 29Si spectra from 31P-->29Si CP, enabling the studies of derivatives involving Si-O-P linkages, such as phosphosilicate glasses, microporous silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO) and bioactive phosphosilicates.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel cyclic aluminophosphinate: structure and solid-state NMR study.

We present the structure and a multinuclear solid-state NMR study of a new cyclic aluminophosphinate. The crystallographic structure of [Al(2)(HC(6)H(5)PO(2))(2)(C(4)H(9)OH)(8)]Cl(4) (compound 1) was obtained at low temperature (a = 11.830(7) A, b = 14.216(6) A, c = 17.790(6) A, beta = 91.25(4) degrees, monoclinic, P21/c, Z = 2). (13)C IRCP (inversion recovery cross polarization) and NQS (non quaternary suppression) NMR experiments allowed the complete assignment of the quaternary carbon atom of the phenyl ring and the precise determination of the isotropic /(1)J(P-C)/ coupling constant. (31)P CP MAS dynamics was carefully studied by varying the contact time. Dipolar oscillations even at slow MAS were observed. Up to 11 kHz, these oscillations were more pronounced, and the P-H distance was easily extracted. (27)Al NMR quadrupolar parameters for 1 were obtained with very good accuracy, and unusual satellite transition splitting was observed. Furthermore, the isotropic lines of the inner and outer transitions were clearly observable, leading to the unambiguous determination of the quadrupolar parameters.