High-resolution NMR field-cycling device for full-range relaxation and structural studies of biopolymers on a shared commercial instrument.
Improvements are described in a shuttling field-cycling device (Redfield in Magn Reson Chem 41:753-768, 2003), designed to allow widespread access to this useful technique by configuring it as a removable module to a commercial 500 MHz NMR instrument. The main improvements described here, leading to greater versatility, high reliability and simple construction, include: shuttling provided by a linear motor driven by an integrated-control servomotor; provision of automated bucking magnets to allow fast two-stage cycling to nearly zero field; and overall control by a microprocessor. A brief review of history and publications that have used the system is followed by a discussion of topics related to such a device including discussion of some future applications. A description of new aspects of the shuttling device follows. The minimum round trip time to 1T and above is less than 0.25 s and to 0.002 T is 0.36 s. Commercial probes are used and sensitivity is that of the host spectrometer reduced only by relaxation during travel. A key element is development of a linkage that prevents vibration of the linear motor from reaching the probe.
Biochemistry Department, Brandeis University, Mail stop 009, Waltham, MA 02154, USA. redfield@brandeis.edu
Alfred G
AG
Redfield
D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013113:Spin Labels
D001704:Biopolymers; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes; D011506:Proteins; D013113:Spin Labels