Local motions in the cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin have been characterized by variable-temperature 13C
solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Carbon-13 chemical shift tensors and 1H−13C dipolar couplings were measured
by advanced magic-angle spinning NMR techniques over the temperature range 0−90 °C. The main conclusions
from our study are that the phenyl ring exhibits thermally activated dynamics about the para axis, whereas
the glucopyranosyl residues remain immobile upon heating. It was also found that sample heating is
accompanied by loss of water. The experimental results were complemented by quantum chemical calculations
of the 13C chemical shift tensors, which were utilized in the analysis of the experimental NMR parameters.