From Angstroms to Nanometers: Measuring Interatomic Distances by Solid-State NMR

Chem Rev. 2022 May 25;122(10):9848-9879. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00662. Epub 2021 Oct 25.

Abstract

Internuclear distances represent one of the main structural constraints in molecular structure determination using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, complementing chemical shifts and orientational restraints. Although a large number of magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR techniques have been available for distance measurements, traditional 13C and 15N NMR experiments are inherently limited to distances of a few angstroms due to the low gyromagnetic ratios of these nuclei. Recent development of fast MAS triple-resonance 19F and 1H NMR probes has stimulated the design of MAS NMR experiments that measure distances in the 1-2 nm range with high sensitivity. This review describes the principles and applications of these multiplexed multidimensional correlation distance NMR experiments, with an emphasis on 19F- and 1H-based distance experiments. Representative applications of these long-distance NMR methods to biological macromolecules as well as small molecules are reviewed.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Proteins* / chemistry

Substances

  • Proteins