The hierarchical Yen−Mullins model of Athabasca oil-sands asphaltene is strongly supported by solution-state 1 H NMR relaxation measurements and 2D HSQC-NMR spectroscopy. For the first time, the 1 H T 1 and T 2 relaxation behaviors of specific sites in asphaltene molecules have been studied, and it is shown that the relaxation behavior is in agreement with the hierarchical molecule-nanoaggregate-cluster model proposed by Mullins (Energy Fuels 2012, 26, 3986). The size of the asphaltene nanoaggregate clusters was determined from the biexponential T 2 relaxation behavior of the 1 H nuclei. Assignment of overlapping 1D NMR signals was made possible via HSQC methods, where elusive hallmark long-range aromatic−aliphatic heteronuclear correlations were observed. Alicyclic structures were shown to be more closely associated with the aromatic core than what has been proposed for most archipelago-type structures. The NMR parameters obtained from the deconvolution analysis indicate an average of 6−7 pericondensed aromatic rings present in each molecule, in agreement with the island model. The average molecular weight was determined at ∼720 g/mol, which would be typical for island model structures, hence lending strong support for the Yen−Mullins model.

Structural characterization and dynamic properties of solid-state inclusion complexes of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were investigated by (19)F/(13)C solid-state and (19)F/(1)H solution NMR spectroscopy. The complexes in the solid state were prepared using dissolution and slow cool methods, where thermal analyses (DSC and TGA), PXRD, and FT-IR results provided complementary support that inclusion complexes were formed between β-CD and PFOA with variable stoichiometry and inclusion geometry. (19)F DP (direct polarization) and (13)C CP (cross-polarization) with magic-angle spinning (MAS) solids NMR, along with (19)F/(1)H solution NMR were used to characterize the complexes in the solid and solution phases, respectively. The dynamics of the guest molecules in the inclusion complexes (ICs) were studied using variable temperature (VT) (19)F DP/MAS NMR experiments in the solid state. The guest molecules were observed to be in several different molecular environments, providing strong evidence of variable host-guest stoichiometry and inclusion geometry, in accordance with the preparation method of the complex and the conformational preference of PFOA. It was concluded from PXRD that β-CD and PFOA form inclusion complexes with "channel-type" structures. Variable spin rate (VSR) (19)F DP/MAS NMR was used to assess the phase purity of the complexes, and it was revealed that slow cooling resulted in relatively pure phases. In the solution state, (1)H and (19)F NMR complexation-induced chemical shifts (CISs) of β-CD and PFOA, respectively, provided strong support for the formation of 1:1 and 2:1 β-CD/PFOA inclusion complexes. The dynamics of the guest molecule in the β-CD/PFOA complexes in D(2)O solutions were probed using VT (19)F NMR and revealed some guest conformational and exchange dynamics as a function of temperature and the relative concentrations of the host and guest.

The structural characterization and dynamic properties of solid-state inclusion complexes (ICs) formed between β-cyclodextrin (β-CD; host) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; guest) were investigated using (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The 1:1 and 2:1 host/guest solid-state complexes were prepared using a modified dissolution method to obtain complexes with high phase purity. These complexes were further characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), FT-IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), (19)F directpolarization (DP), and (13)C cross-polarization (CP) with magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. The (19)F → (13)C CP results provided unequivocal support for the formation of well-defined inclusion compounds. The phase purity of the complexes formed between β-CD and PFOA were assessed using the (19)F DP NMR technique at variable temperature (VT) and MAS at 20 kHz. The complexes were found to be of high phase purity when prepared in accordance with the modified dissolution method. The motional dynamics of the guest in the solid complexes were assessed using T1/T2/T1ρ relaxation NMR methods at ambient and VT conditions. The relaxation data revealed reliable and variable guest dynamics for the 1:1 versus 2:1 complexes at the VTs investigated. The motional dynamics of the guest molecules involve an ensemble of axial motions of the whole chain and 120° rotational jumps of the methyl (CF3) group at the termini of the perfluorocarbon chain. The axial and rotational dynamics of the guest in the 1:1 and 2:1 complexes differ in distribution and magnitude in accordance with the binding geometry of the guest within the host.

No abstract

Sulfur tetrafluoride and triethylamine react at low temperatures to form a 1:1 adduct. The unambiguous characterization of the SF(4)·N(C(2)H(5))(3), which is only stable at low temperature, proves the Lewis acid property of SF(4) towards organic Lewis bases. The S-N bond has a length of 2.384(2) Å and is an archetypical example of a dative S(IV) ← N bonding modality.