This recommendation proposes a definition for the term “chalcogen bond”; it is recommended the term is used to designate the specific subset of inter- and intramolecular interactions formed by chalcogen atoms wherein the Group 16 element is the electrophilic site.

No abstract

XH/pi interactions make important contributions to biomolecular structure and function. These weakly polar interactions, involving pi-system acceptor groups, are usually identified from the three-dimensional structures of proteins. Here, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been used to directly detect methyl/pi (Me/pi) interactions in proteins at atomic resolution. Density functional theory calculations predict the existence of weak scalar (J) couplings between nuclei involved in Me/pi interactions. Using an optimized isotope-labelling strategy, these J couplings have been detected in proteins using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The resulting spectra provide direct experimental evidence of Me/pi interactions in proteins and allow a simple and unambiguous assignment of donor and acceptor groups. The use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is an elegant way to identify and experimentally characterize Me/pi interactions in proteins without the need for arbitrary geometric descriptions or pre-existing three-dimensional structures.

A series of organic hydrochloride salts has been investigated using solid-state 35 Cl and 37 Cl NMR spectroscopy at applied magnetic field strengths of 9.4 and 18.8 T. Magic-angle spinning, static Hahn-echo, and quadrupolar Carr-Purcell Meiboom-Gill (QCPMG) echo experiments have been applied to investigate the chlorine electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensors for L-tyrosine hydrochloride, L-cysteine methyl ester hydrochloride, L-cysteine ethyl ester hydrochloride, quinuclidine hydrochloride, and tris sarcosine calcium chloride. Chlorine-35 nuclear quadrupolar coupling constants for these compounds range from 2.23 to 5.25 MHz, and isotropic chemical shifts range from approximately 9 to 53 ppm relative to the chloride ion in aqueous solution. The results demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of high-field 35/37 Cl NMR studies of organic chloride salts. A discussion of the data in the context of the known X-ray or neutron diffraction structures for these compounds suggests that the chlorine EFG tensor is a valuable probe of hydrogen bonding to the chloride ion. Because the anisotropies of the CS tensors are rather small, precise determination of the chlorine CS tensors proved to be challenging and was only feasible for L-cysteine ethyl ester hydrochloride, where the span, Ω, was found to be 47 ( 4 ppm. This represents the first determination of Ω(Cl) from a powder sample. Results of ab initio calculations of the chlorine EFG and CS tensors in L-tyrosine hydrochloride are presented and compared with the experimental data.

Ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity is a very desirable property for an effective cryoprotectant. This property was first observed in biological antifreezes (BAs), which cannot be utilized in cryopreservation due to their ability to bind to ice. To date, potent IRI active compounds have been limited to BAs or synthetic C-linked AFGP analogues (1 and 2), all of which are large peptide-based molecules. This paper describes the first example of low molecular weight carbohydrate-based derivatives that exhibit potent IRI activity. Non-ionic surfactant n-octyl-b-D-galactopyranoside (4) exhibited potent IRI activity at a concentration of 22 mM, whereas hydrogelator N-octyl-Dgluconamide (5) exhibited potent IRI activity at a low concentration of 0.5 mM. Thermal hysteresis measurements and solid-state NMR experiments indicated that these derivatives are not exhibiting IRI activity by binding to ice. For non-ionic surfactant derivatives (3 and 4), we demonstrated that carbohydrate hydration is important for IRI activity and that the formation of micelles in solution is not a prerequisite for IRI activity. Furthermore, using solid-state NMR and rheology we demonstrated that the ability of hydrogelators 5 and 6 to form a hydrogel is not relevant to IRI activity. Structurefunction studies indicated that the amide bond in 5 is an essential structural feature required for potent IRI activity.

A computer program (EFGShield) is described that simplifies and summarizes the output from electric field gradient (EFG) and nuclear magnetic shielding tensor calculations performed independently using existing quantum chemical software. In addition to summarizing tensor magnitudes according to conventions commonly used by solid-state NMR spectroscopists, the program provides Euler angles relating the orientations of the EFG and shielding tensor principal axis systems (PAS). An atomic coordinate file is generated that also contains dummy atoms representing the orientations of the EFG and shielding tensor PASs in the molecular framework. We demonstrate the functionality of the program using calculations of the chlorine EFG and shielding tensors for strontium chloride dihydrate and calcium chloride dihydrate. Several models of the chloride environment in these compounds are tested, including those where point charges are used to represent the extended three-dimensional lattices within the self-consistent charge field perturbation approach. The results highlight both the shortcomings and successes of traditional localized orbital-based basis sets in the description of the NMR properties of extended systems. We anticipate that EFGShield will be a useful tool for spectroscopists using quantum chemical software to aid in the interpretation of experimental data.Key words: quantum chemical calculations, computer program, electric field gradient tensor, quadrupolar coupling constant, nuclear magnetic shielding tensor, Euler angles, alkaline earth chloride hydrates.

This topical review provides a brief overview of recent developments in NMR crystallography and related NMR approaches to studying the properties of molecular and ionic solids. Areas of complementarity with diffraction-based methods are underscored. These include the study of disordered systems, of dynamic systems, and other selected examples where NMR can provide unique insights. Highlights from the literature as well as recent work from my own group are discussed.

A series of alkaline earth chloride hydrates has been studied by solid-state (35/37)Cl NMR spectroscopy in order to characterize the chlorine electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensors and to relate these observables to the structure around the chloride ions. Chlorine-35/37 NMR spectra of solid powdered samples of pseudopolymorphs (hydrates) of magnesium chloride (MgCl(2).6H(2)O), calcium chloride (CaCl(2).2H(2)O), strontium chloride (SrCl(2), SrCl(2).2H(2)O, and SrCl(2).6H(2)O), and barium chloride (BaCl(2).2H(2)O) have been acquired under stationary and magic-angle spinning conditions in magnetic fields of 11.75 and 21.1 T. Powder X-ray diffraction was used as an additional tool to confirm the purity and identity of the samples. Chlorine-35 quadrupolar coupling constants (C(Q)) range from essentially zero in cubic anhydrous SrCl(2) to 4.26+/-0.03 MHz in calcium chloride dihydrate. CS tensor spans, Omega, are between 40 and 72 ppm, for example, Omega= 45+/-20 ppm for SrCl(2).6H(2)O. Plane wave-pseudopotential density functional theory, as implemented in the CASTEP program, was employed to model the extended solid lattices of these materials for the calculation of their chlorine EFG and nuclear magnetic shielding tensors, and allowed for the assignment of the two-site chlorine NMR spectra of barium chloride dihydrate. This work builds upon our current understanding of the relationship between chlorine NMR interaction tensors and the local molecular and electronic structure, and highlights the particular sensitivity of quadrupolar nucleus solid-state NMR spectroscopy to the differences between various pseudopolymorphic structures in the case of strontium chloride.