Quantitative Analysis of the Proximities of OH Ligands and Vanadium Sites in a Polyoxovanadate Cluster Using Frequency-Selective H-1-V-51 Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

International audienceWe introduce a magic-angle spinning NMR experiment to estimate specific distances in a solid material between a given site occupied by a quadrupolar nucleus and the nearby spin-1/2 nuclei. The new sequence, called DANTE-S-REDOR, consists of a frequency-selective dephasing experiment where heteronuclear dipolar couplings are reintroduced by applying a symmetry-based sequence (S-REDOR). The selectivity is achieved by applying a pulse train, such as Delays Alternating with Nutations for Tailored Excitation (DANTE), to the quadrupolar nucleus. This new method allows quantitative analysis of proximities in the 3-4 angstrom range of protons in OH ligands and one of the V-51 sites in a complex decavanadate cluster, namely Cs-4[H(2)V(10)O(28]center dot)4H(2)O. The high selectivity of the DANTE-S-REDOR sequence offers the possibility to investigate a wide range of materials with different quadrupolar nuclei, including polyoxometalates, oxides, zeolites, and aluminophosphates