Fast Wide-Line Solid-State NMR on a Low-Cost Benchtop Spectrometer

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Solid-state NMR offers rich data on molecular structure and dynamics.
• Acquisition challenges include broad resonances, low sensitivity, and reliance on costly high-field magnets.
• Developing accessible NMR instrumentation is crucial for broader scientific application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the capability of a low-cost, benchtop NMR spectrometer for wide-line solid-state NMR.
• To achieve sensitivity comparable to conventional high-field instruments.
• To showcase the instrument's versatility across different nuclei and sample types.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a robust, maintenance-free, low-cost benchtop/mobile NMR spectrometer.
• Acquired challenging wide-line solid-state NMR spectra.
• Employed interleaved acquisition of frequency-stepped slices to reduce experiment time.

Main Results:

• Successfully recorded wide-line 31P NMR spectra of paramagnetic FePO4.
• Obtained full quadrupolar lineshapes for 27Al in Al2O3 and 14N in KNO3.
• Demonstrated sensitivity comparable to common high-field NMR instruments.
• Showcased a significant reduction in experiment time using interleaved acquisition.

Conclusions:

• Low-cost, mobile NMR spectrometers can effectively perform challenging wide-line solid-state NMR experiments.
• The developed method provides a cost-effective and accessible alternative to traditional high-field NMR.
• Interleaved acquisition significantly enhances experimental efficiency for wide-line NMR.