title: Probing spatial distribution of alignment by deuterium NMR imaging.
abstract: Deuterium NMR imaging was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of the degree of alignment in different types of alignment media by monitoring the deuterium quadrupolar splitting using spatially resolved NMR techniques in conventional liquid state NMR instruments. These images allow the unambiguous distinction of magnetic field and alignment inhomogeneities present in partially aligned samples, revealing the underlying reasons for linebroadening within an alignment medium that cannot be explained by the sole analysis of 1D (2)H NMR spectra. For example, alignment inhomogeneities due to broken gels or the presence of concentration gradients in liquid crystalline solutions are clearly detected by the imaging methods proposed in this work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trigo-Mouriño
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Merle
authors.forename: Martin R M
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Koos
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luy
authors.forename: Roberto R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D003903:Deuterium / Q000737:chemistry*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D003903:Deuterium