Search for: All records

We demonstrate a host-guest molecular recognition approach to advance double electron-electron resonance (DEER) distance measurements of spin-labeled proteins. We synthesized an iodoacetamide (IA) derivative of 2,6-diazaadamantane nitroxide (DZD) spin label that could be doubly incorporated into T4 Lysozyme (T4L) by site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) with efficiency up to 50% per cysteine. The rigidity of the fused ring structure and absence of mobile methyl groups increase the spin echo dephasing time (Tm) at temperatures above 80 K. This enables DEER measurements of distances >4 nm in DZD labeled-T4L in glycerol/water at temperatures up to 150 K, with increased sensitivity compared to common spin label such as MTSL. Addition of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) reduces the rotational correlation time of the label, slightly increases Tm, and most importantly, narrows (and slightly lengthens) the inter-spin distance distributions. The distance distributions are in good agreement with simulated distance distributions obtained by rotamer libraries. These results provide a foundation for developing supramolecular recognition to facilitate long-distance DEER measurements at near physiological temperatures. 

Using transition metal ions for spin-based applications, such as electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) or quantum computation, requires a clear understanding of how local chemistry influences spin properties. Herein we report a series of four ionic complexes to provide the first systematic study of one aspect of local chemistry on the V( iv ) spin – the counterion. To do so, the four complexes (Et 3 NH) 2 [V(C 6 H 4 O 2 ) 3 ] ( 1 ), ( n -Bu 3 NH) 2 [V(C 6 H 4 O 2 ) 3 ] ( 2 ), ( n -Hex 3 NH) 2 [V(C 6 H 4 O 2 ) 3 ] ( 3 ), and ( n -Oct 3 NH) 2 [V(C 6 H 4 O 2 ) 3 ] ( 4 ) were probed by EPR spectroscopy in solid state and solution. Room temperature, solution X-band ( ca. 9.8 GHz) continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) spectroscopy revealed an increasing linewidth with larger cations, likely a counterion-controlled tumbling in solution via ion pairing. In the solid state, variable-temperature (5–180 K) X-band ( ca. 9.4 GHz) pulsed EPR studies of 1–4 in o -terphenyl glass demonstrated no effect on spin–lattice relaxation times ( T 1 ), indicating little role for the counterion on this parameter. However, the phase memory time ( T m ) of 1 below 100 K is markedly smaller than those of 2–4 . This result is counterintuitive, as 2–4 are relatively richer in 1 H nuclear spin, hence, expected to have shorter T m . Thus, these data suggest an important role for counterion methyl groups on T m , and moreover provide the first instance of a lengthening T m with increasing nuclear spin quantity on a molecule.