Matrix-dependent modulation of anisotropic effects on NMR spectra from 7Li+ and 23Na+ encapsulated in cryptands

(7)Li and (23)Na NMR spectra of the respective cations in gelatin and ι-carrageenan gels containing cryptand-[2.1.1] (for Li(+)) or cryptand-[2.2.2] (for Na(+)) displayed two transitions: the one at higher frequency corresponded to the cation surrounded by gel, the other to cation inside its appropriately sized cryptand. While binding to cryptands yielded much broader lines and shorter T (1) relaxation times, anisotropic splitting in first order (7)Li or (23)Na NMR spectra was not detected. Stretching the gels resulted in increasing the anisotropic electric field gradient tensor; thus, the NMR transitions of the cation in the gel were split (removal of degeneracy) to display its characteristic 3:4:3 triplet for spin = 3/2 nuclei. The transitions of the cryptand-bound cations (Li(+)-cryptand-[2.1.1] and Na(+)-cryptand-[2.2.2]) showed different extents of interaction with the electric field gradient tensor depending on the composition of the gel matrix. The NMR signal for (7)Li(+)-cryptand-[2.1.1] in stretched gelatin gel showed a five-fold increased splitting as compared to the (7)Li(+) signal in the reference gel. In stretched ι-carrageenan gels, no anisotropic splitting from the cryptand-bound Li(+) was recorded. Steady-state irradiation envelopes or z-spectra showed evidence of Li(+) exchange between isotropic (cryptand) and anisotropic (gel) sites only at higher temperatures (55 °C). For Na(+) bound to the cryptand-[2.2.2], anisotropic splitting (three-fold smaller compared with the (23)Na signal in the reference gel) was only recorded in stretched ι-carrageenan gels, whereas gelatin gels showed only anisotropic splitting for the (23)Na signal in the reference gel.