Aramid fibers are of practical interest due to their high tensile strength, high elastic modulus, low elongation at breakage, and thermomechanical stability. Here we combine high-resolution solid-state NMR and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to gain insight into the details of the molecular packing of p-phenylene terephthalamides (PPTA). On the basis of the four models discussed thus far in the literature, we create a family of 16 possible structures. Calculations relate 1 H and 13 C chemical shifts obtained from experiments to structural aspects. Nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) calculations show that ring currents and σ−π interactions as well as hydrogen bonding influence the chemical shifts on the rings. We obtain an unambiguous assignment, which differs from the literature data for carbon, for all resonances relating to the repeating unit of PPTA and obtain new insights into the possible packings of the PPTA units within the unit cell. Article pubs.acs.org/Macromolecules

To be able to study mass-limited samples and small single crystals, a triple resonance micro-magic angle spinning (μMAS) probehead for the application of high-resolution solid-state NMR of nanoliter samples was developed. Due to its excellent rf performance this allows us to explore the limits of proton NMR resolution in strongly coupled solids. Using homonuclear decoupling we obtain unprecedented (1)H linewidths for a single crystal of glycine (Δν(CH2) = 0.14 ppm) at high field (20 T) in a directly detected spectrum. The triple channel design allowed the recording of high-resolution μMAS (13)C-(15)N correlations of [U-(13)C-(15)N] arginine HCl and shows that the superior (1)H resolution opens the way for high-sensitivity inverse detection of heteronuclei even at moderate spinning speeds and rf-fields. Efficient decoupling leads to long coherence times which can be exploited in many correlation experiments.

Three-dimensional phosphorus MR images (31P MRI) of teeth are obtained at a nominal resolution of 0.5 mm in less than 15 minutes using acquisition pulse sequences sensitive to ultra-short transversal relaxation times. The images directly reflect the spatially resolved phosphorus content of mineral tissue in dentin and enamel; they show a lack of signal from pulp tissue and reduced signal from de-mineralized carious lesions. We demonstrate for the first time that the signal in 31P MR images of mineralized tissue is enhanced by a 1H-31P nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE). Using teeth as a model for imaging mineralized human tissue, graded differences in signal enhancement are observed that correlate well with known mineral content. From solid-state NMR experiments we conclude that the NOE is facilitated by spin diffusion and that the NOE difference can be assigned to a higher water content and a different micro-structure of dentin. Thus, a novel method for imaging mineral content without ionizing radiation is proposed. This method has potential use in the assessment of de-mineralization states in humans, such as caries of teeth and osteoporosis of bones.

In aramid (para-phenylene terephthalamide) fibers, small concentrations of sodium ions are present as remnants of the neutralization step in the production. This is thought to relate to the long-term stability of the fibers. Our study shows that most of the sodium ions are accessible by water. Fitting the 23Na NMR spectra at two magnetic fields reveals a large distribution in both quadrupolar interaction and isotropic chemical shift, indicating substantial structural variations in the direct vicinity of the ions. All these observations imply that, upon drying, the sodium ions reside in a single pool with a very disordered environment. This implies that fibers consist of crystallites that are packed in such a way that end groups are not directly exposed for coordination with sodium. The sodium resides in intercrystalline regions of the fibers, that is, cracks and voids, most likely in the form of sodium sulfate at various stages of (residual) hydration.