We
report variable-temperature (VT) 17O solid-state
nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra for three crystalline sulfonic
acids: l-cysteic acid monohydrate (CA), 3-pyridinesulfonic
acid (PSA), and p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate
(TSA). We were able to analyze the experimental VT 17O
NMR spectra to obtain the activation barriers for SO3
– jumps in these systems. Using the density functional-based
tight-binding (DFTB) method, we performed potential energy surface
scans for SO3
– jumps in the crystal lattice
of CA, PSA, and TSA, as well as for three related crystalline sulfonic
acids (taurine, homotaurine, and 4-aminobutane-1-sulfonic acid) for
which relevant 17O solid-state NMR data are available in
the literature. The calculated activation barriers are in reasonable
agreement with the experimental values. On the basis of the DFTB results,
we hypothesized that activation barriers for SO3
– jumps in the crystal lattice depend largely on the hydrogen bonding
energy difference between the ground state and the transition state.