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Updated: May 30, 2026

Atomic Scale Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies by Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Published on: September 17, 2017
(13)C shielding scale for MAS NMR spectroscopy.
Karol Jackowski1, Włodzimierz Makulski
1Laboratory of NMR Spectroscopy, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warszawa, Poland. kjack@chem.uw.edu.pl.
Direct measurements establish new (13)C magnetic shielding standards. These results, free from susceptibility effects, are crucial for accurate magic angle spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy
- Chemical Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Accurate calibration of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) scales is essential for reliable chemical shift referencing.
- Existing reference standards for Carbon-13 ((13)C) magnetic shielding can be affected by susceptibility effects, limiting their precision.
- Direct measurement of magnetic shielding constants provides a more robust calibration method.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform direct measurements of (13)C magnetic shielding constants.
- To establish new, susceptibility-independent reference standards for the (13)C shielding scale.
- To validate these standards for use in magic angle spinning NMR experiments.
Main Methods:
- Direct measurement of (13)C magnetic shielding in pure liquid tetramethylsilane (TMS), a 1% TMS solution in deuterated chloroform (CDCl3), and solid fullerene.
- Exploration of the relationship between resonance frequencies, shielding constants, and magnetic moments of (13)C and Helium-3 ((3)He) nuclei.
- Determination of (13)C shielding constants for glycine, hexamethylbenzene, and adamantane using solid-state chemical shifts.
Main Results:
- Direct (13)C magnetic shielding values were obtained for TMS and fullerene.
- Established (13)C shielding constants for glycine, hexamethylbenzene, and adamantane.
- All determined shielding constants are free from susceptibility effects, offering improved accuracy.
Conclusions:
- The newly measured (13)C magnetic shielding constants serve as reliable reference standards.
- These standards are suitable for calibrating the (13)C shielding scale in magic angle spinning NMR.
- The susceptibility-independent nature of these standards enhances the precision of NMR measurements.
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