Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ren-Hao Cheng, Honghao Cai, Yu-Ren Huang, Xiaohong Cui, Zhong Chen, Hsuan-Ying Chen, Shangwu Ding
Summary: Understanding the water state in Nafion is crucial for fuel cell operation and proton transport mechanism elucidation. By designing different types of Nafion samples with substituted cations, preparing samples carefully, and conducting solid state NMR experiments, clear and straightforward information can be obtained to reduce ambiguity in interpreting data. The results show that the type of substituting cation affects the unfrozen water in Nafion, and there is a broad distribution of water state and dynamics as the temperature decreases.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qing Zhang, Yijun Chen, Pingdong Wei, Yi Zhong, Chaoji Chen, Jie Cai
Summary: A new route was reported for the fabrication of high-strength and high-toughness chitosan films mediated by a hydrated chitosan crystal structure, with specific solvent and neutralization bath. Stretching orientation contributes to the improvement of mechanical properties of chitosan films.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Monu Kaushik, Hugo Lingua, Gabriele Stevanato, Margarita Elokova, Moreno Lelli, Anne Lesage, Olivier Ouari
Summary: This study introduces trehalose-based DNP polarizing matrices optimized for experiments at low temperatures and explores the efficiency of various formulation protocols. The results show that these new polarizing media outperform the conventionally used water/glycerol mixture at higher temperatures, providing new possibilities for DNP enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy close to ambient temperature.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sambhu Radhakrishnan, Sam Smet, C. Vinod Chandran, Sreeprasanth Pulinthanathu Sree, Karel Duerinckx, Gina Vanbutsele, Johan A. Martens, Eric Breynaert
Summary: Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a major technology for reducing emissions from diesel engines, and variable temperature NMR can be used to predict the activity of Cu-zeolite SCR catalysts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erik A. Wu, Swastika Banerjee, Hanmei Tang, Peter M. Richardson, Jean-Marie Doux, Ji Qi, Zhuoying Zhu, Antonin Grenier, Yixuan Li, Enyue Zhao, Grayson Deysher, Elias Sebti, Han Nguyen, Ryan Stephens, Guy Verbist, Karena W. Chapman, Raphaele J. Clement, Abhik Banerjee, Ying Shirley Meng, Shyue Ping Ong
Summary: The development of rechargeable solid-state sodium-ion batteries can be enhanced by introducing a new sodium-based halide, Na3-xY1-xZrxCl6, for improved ionic conductivity and long-term cycling stability.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yannick Coppel, Yann Prigent, Genevieve Gregoire
Summary: This study introduces a set of solid state NMR experiments for characterizing the main components of human dentin, focusing on the H-1 signals of water molecules, HPO42-, and OH- groups. By utilizing sample modifications, hydrogen signals of these species can be distinguished, providing valuable structural and dynamic information for biomaterials.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexander E. Khudozhitkov, Masaki Donoshita, Alexander G. Stepanov, Frederik Philippi, Daniel Rauber, Rolf Hempelmann, Hiroshi Kitagawa, Daniil Kolokolov, Ralf Ludwig
Summary: The complex phase behavior of the glass forming protic ionic liquid has been reported using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, revealing evidence of tunneling driven mobility of hydrogen bonded moieties at high temperatures.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fenfen Wang, Zhou Deng, Zhijun Yang, Pingchuan Sun
Summary: The study found that alkaline treatment led to significant changes in the structure and dynamics of chitosan samples, resulting in increased crystallinity and interactions in the film, providing higher mechanical strength.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tadeja Katan, Rupert Kargl, Tamilselvan Mohan, Tobias Steindorfer, Miran Mozetic, Janez Kovac, Karin Stana Kleinschek
Summary: Stable chitosan thin films can serve as promising substrates for creating nanometric peptide-bound polyglucosamine layers, with structural similarities to bacterial peptidoglycans. Various characterization techniques were employed to investigate the surface chemistry and confirm the acetylation and coupling of peptides on the chitosan films, indicating potential to mimic bacterial cell wall structures.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Diego H. P. Souza, Kasper T. Moller, Stephen A. Moggach, Terry D. Humphries, Anita M. D'Angelo, Craig E. Buckley, Mark Paskevicius
Summary: Metal boron-hydrogen compounds are considered promising candidates for solid electrolytes in the development of all-solid-state batteries, showing high ionic conductivity. An optimised low-cost preparation method has been proposed, resulting in exceptional ionic conductivity of hydrated LiB11H14 and NaB11H14.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Derrick C. Kaseman, Michael W. Malone, Aaron Tondreau, Michelle A. Espy, Robert F. Williams
Summary: This study investigates the quantitative analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at Earth's magnetic field, finding that the quantitation process at low magnetic fields is impacted by complex heteronuclear J-couplings, requiring consideration of instrumentation, acquisition, and processing methods. The re-derived constant field nuclear receptivity equation plays a key role in addressing strong coupling and quality factor effects, enabling the quantitation of homonuclear molecular groups in a simplified experimental system.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Electrochemistry
Patrick Dedetemo Kimilita, Mikihiro Hayashi, Hugues Museba Nkomba, Haruka Fukunishi, Ntumba Lobo, Tatsuya Mizuno, Louis Efoto Eale, Ernest Kakuji Mwilambwe
Summary: A gel electrolyte (PAM-DMSO/H2O) was developed by combining dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with H2O to address the adverse side reactions and by-product formation in aqueous zinc-ion batteries. The gel electrolyte demonstrated reduced water activity, enhanced ionic conductivity (31.2 mS cm-1), and improved zinc-ion transference number (tzn2+= 0.69). Long-term stability (over 2000 h) of the Zn anode and high reversible capacity (559.0 mAh g-1) and cycling stability (over 2000 cycles) of the electrolyte and pre-intercalated Hydrated Vanadium Oxide (VOH) cathode were achieved. This electrolyte development strategy opens up new opportunities for flexible and highly durable zinc-ion batteries with broad applications.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nghia Tuan Duong, Yoshitaka Aoyama, Katsumi Kawamoto, Toshio Yamazaki, Yusuke Nishiyama
Summary: MicroED is used to solve structures of sub-micrometer crystals, but the high R factor makes it difficult to locate hydrogens and assign nuclei with close atomic numbers. By combining microED and ssNMR experiments with spin dynamics numerical simulations, this study provides a method for natural abundance samples.
Article
Polymer Science
Tetsuo Asakura, Yusuke Ibe, Takaki Jono, Akira Naito
Summary: A biodegradable PU based on PCL was synthesized for developing biodegradable SF-PU composite materials. The study investigated the structure and dynamics of biodegradable PU and SF-PU composite fiber, revealing that the interaction between SF and PU increased the non-crystalline region.
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luminita Duma, Lucile Senicourt, Baptiste Rigaud, Vassilios Papadopoulos, Jean-Jacques Lacapere
Summary: Ligand binding to human TSPO has been widely used in clinical neuroimaging, but the interaction mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the apo form of recombinant mouse TSPO (mTSPO) reconstituted in lipids. The results provide insights into the molecular dynamics and conformational mobility of mTSPO in the absence of ligands. The findings suggest potential implications for ligand recognition and protein interactions.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Fenfen Wang, Sanath K. Ramakrishna, Pingchuan Sun, Riqiang Fu
Summary: A triple-pulse excitation scheme is proposed in this work to suppress background signals and eliminate RF acoustic ringing in NMR experiments, improving the accuracy and stability of data acquisition. This new method effectively suppresses background signals and eliminates acoustic ringing effects, demonstrating its effectiveness in various samples containing H-1 and quadrupolar nuclei.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fenfen Wang, Zhou Deng, Zhijun Yang, Pingchuan Sun
Summary: The study found that alkaline treatment led to significant changes in the structure and dynamics of chitosan samples, resulting in increased crystallinity and interactions in the film, providing higher mechanical strength.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yusuke Nishiyama, Vipin Agarwal, Rongchun Zhang
Summary: Solid-state NMR spectroscopy has been crucial in elucidating the structure and dynamics of materials and biological solids at a molecular level. After systematically searching for symmetry-based DQ recoupling sequences, it was found that gamma-encoded RN(n)(ν) sequences outperform other DQ recoupling sequences.
SOLID STATE NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Wansu Peng, Chengdong Feng, Jiawen Hou, Rongchun Zhang, Pingchuan Sun, Yun Gao, Xiaoliang Wang
Summary: Understanding the yielding and recovery process of polymer networks is crucial for the design and fabrication of high-performance nanocomposites. In this study, a model system of HTPB/organo-clay nanocomposite gel was used to investigate the structural evolution process. The results showed that the polymer-clay interaction and the rotation of clay sheets played important roles in network reconstruction. The physical network information was revealed through proton double-quantum NMR spectroscopy.
Article
Polymer Science
Hao Wang, Wan-Su Peng, Qi Wu, Yan Zhao, Shi-Tai Wang, Yi Yang, Jin-Rong Wu, Xiao-Liang Wang, Rong-Chun Zhang
Summary: There has been increasing interest in incorporating dynamic bonds into polymer materials to achieve multiple functionalities. However, the impact of dynamic bonds on polymer dynamics has been less explored. In this study, a self-healing solid-liquid elastomer (SLE) with abundant dynamic boron/oxygen dative bonds was investigated. The results showed that increasing the content of dynamic boron/oxygen dative bonds enhanced the structural and chain relaxation heterogeneity of the SLE. The study also revealed the impact of boron/oxygen dative bonds on Rouse dynamics.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhiwei Yan, Yue-Qi Ye, Rongchun Zhang
Summary: This article presents a novel HETCOR experiment method that allows sequential acquisition of C-13 and HETCOR spectra for both rigid and mobile components in a single experiment, resulting in significant time savings. The proposed method was demonstrated on small-molecule mixtures and polymer systems, showing potential for fast chemical shift resonance assignment and spectral editing in multiphase materials.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuanming Zhai, Yong Luo, Xiaoyan Wang, Chunchun Zhang, Pengchi Deng, Hanjiao Chen, Rongchun Zhang, Ruiying Bao, Yicun Zhou, Mingbo Yang, Wei Yang
Summary: Polymer blending is a common method to incorporate the excellent physical/chemical properties of individual polymer components, but there are limited atomic-level insights into the improvement of mechanical properties. In this study, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is used to understand the molecular origin of mechanical enhancement in PA6/PK blends. The results show that the superior performance of PA6/PK blend is attributed to the enhanced interfacial adhesion and interconnected interphase via hydrogen bonds.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zhiwei Yan, Rongchun Zhang
Summary: Proton-detected solid-state NMR spectroscopy combines high magnetic field and ultrafast magic angle spinning to enhance the resolution and sensitivity of atomic characterization of organic solids. A new set of proton-detected sequences combining multi-dimensional 1H-1H homonuclear chemical shift correlation (HOMCOR) and two-dimensional 1H-13C heteronuclear chemical shift correlation (HETCOR) spectra in a single experiment is proposed, allowing for simultaneous acquisition of multiple spectra and significant time savings. These new sequences can be implemented on any standard solid-state spectrometer with only one receiver.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhao Zheng, Lu Liu, Mu Li, Weigang Sun, Yuling Liang, Jiadong Chen, Junsheng Yang, Rongchun Zhang, Panchao Yin
Summary: Through the manipulation of surface charges and loadings, 1 nm super-acidic metal oxide clusters can co-crystallize with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) at the molecular scale to produce thermoplastic anhydrous proton exchange membranes (PEMs). The coexistence of crystalline and amorphous regions provides the PEMs with high Young's modulus and flexibility, while the noncovalent complex interactions enable easy preparation and reprocessing. The diffusion dynamics of PEG chains are slowed down by the confinement effect, while the local segmental dynamics are accelerated, facilitating proton transport and achieving excellent anhydrous proton conductivity.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Shuqi Dai, Junxia He, Xiupeng Chen, Jinyi Cui, Hongqin Zhao, Rongchun Zhang, Huanyu Lei, Jiafu Yin, Linkun Cai, Fan Ye, Xian Kong, Rongrong Hu, Mingjun Huang
Summary: Polymer electrolytes are being studied for their potential as solid-state ionic conductors in future lithium metal batteries. Poly(ethylene oxide)-based electrolytes, in particular, are favored for their high ion conductivity and compatibility with electrode interfaces. However, the trade-off between ion conductivity and mechanical strength enhancement is a challenge due to the coupling between lithium-ion transport and polymer chain motion. Low temperature ion conductivity and low cation transference numbers also hinder practical applications of these electrolytes in batteries.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zhiwei Yan, Rongchun Zhang
Summary: Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a pivotal technique for studying the microstructure and dynamics of complex polymer and biological materials. This study proposes a robust approach that combines cross polarization (CP) and refocused insensitive nuclei enhanced by polarization transfer (RINEPT) to measure site-specific proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) and rotating frame relaxation times (T1 rho) in multiphase polymers. This approach overcomes the limitation of CP in transferring proton polarization to mobile components, enabling simultaneous determination of T1 and T1 rho in both rigid and mobile components. The proposed experiments are demonstrated on three typical multiphase polymer systems.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xinyu Li, Mengmeng Xu, Rongchun Zhang, Youqing Yu, Yuanyuan Pei, Qianqian Yu, Kunkun Liu, Yiliu Liu, Linge Wang, Tao Wen
Summary: This study reports the unexpected photoluminescence (PL) of poly[(methylenelactide)-co-(2-vinylpyridine)] (PLVPs) random copolymers, which exhibit intense blue emission and high quantum yield. The luminescence originates from the interactions between pyridine and lactone rings, and is influenced by the concentration of the copolymers.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yulei Gao, Xiang Di, Fenfen Wang, Pingchuan Sun
Summary: In this study, polymer-based room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials with tunable multicolor emission were successfully prepared. The molar ratio of phosphor and acrylamide played a significant role in determining the photophysical properties and multicolor emission of these materials. Furthermore, the RTP intensity of these materials decreased with increasing humidity, making them suitable for humidity sensing. The distinct RTP lifetimes and responsiveness to humidity also enabled successful triple encoding for information encryption.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yulei Gao, Zhou Deng, Fenfen Wang, Pingchuan Sun
Summary: In this study, a covalently crosslinked high-performance room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) material with fluorescence and RTP double emissions was successfully constructed by linking the phosphor into an epoxy-based vitrimer network. The material showed polychromatic photoluminescence and a long phosphorescence lifetime under air conditions, and its RTP emission intensity could respond to stimuli of ammonia and temperature, making it potential as a sensor with good mechanical properties. The dynamically crosslinked network structure also provided the material with excellent thermomechanical properties, high thermal stability, and self-repairing properties, making it suitable for device fabrication and processing applications.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Fen-fen Wang, Ping-chuan Sun
Summary: Nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, especially solid-state NMR, play a crucial role in providing information on microscopic structure and dynamics in polymer materials research. SSNMR has become a powerful tool for characterizing the relationship between polymer structure and properties.
ACTA POLYMERICA SINICA
(2021)