Probing Noncovalent Interactions by Fast Magic-Angle Spinning NMR at 100 kHz and More

Noncovalent interactions are the basis for a large number of chemical and biological molecular-recognition processes, such as those occurring in supramolecular chemistry, catalysis, solid-state reactions in mechanochemistry, protein folding, protein-nucleic acid binding, and biomolecular phase separation processes. In this perspective article, some recent developments in probing noncovalent interactions by proton-detected solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy at Magic-Angle Spinning (MAS) frequencies of 100 kHz and more are reviewed. The development of MAS rotors with decreasing outer diameters, combined with the development of superconducting magnets operating at high static magnetic-field strengths up to 28.2 T (1200 MHz proton Larmor frequency) improves resolution and sensitivity in proton-detected solid-state NMR, which is the fundamental requirement for shedding light on noncovalent interactions in solids. The examples reported in this article range from protein-nucleic acid binding in large ATP-fueled motor proteins to a hydrogen-π interaction in a calixarene-lanthanide complex.