Solid State NMR Spectroscopy: A multiscale "lens" for understanding complex materials

Complexity is an intrinsic feature typical of the most attractive innovative materials in many different research and application fields, as chemistry, optoelectronics, energy, recycling, medicine. Complexity arises from the coexistence of different chemical components, interfaces and phases, as well as from structural disorder and/ or heterogeneity. Complexity often hinders a detailed characterization of advanced materials, which, on the other hand, is crucial for understanding the functional performances and orienting the design and optimization of innovative materials. Solid State NMR spectroscopy (SSNMR) is an extremely powerful technique, which can effectively bridge this gap. Indeed, it can be applied to substantially every kind of soft and hard material and, by exploiting many nuclear probes and properties, it allows structural and dynamic properties to be characterized on very wide spatial (0.1-100 nm) and frequency (Hz-GHz) scales [1]. In this contribution I will show case studies of advanced materials characterized in the ICCOM-CNR/UNIPI joint lab [2], which, with the acquisition within the year of a last generation SSNMR spectrometer, will be the largest Italian laboratory for the study of materials by SSNMR. Hopefully this contribution will further increase the opportunity for the DSCTM community of taking advantage of this technique. References: [1] a. M. Geppi, S. Borsacchi, G. Mollica, C. A. Veracini, Appl. Spectr. Rev. 2009, 44, 1; b. M. Geppi, S. Borsacchi, G. Mollica, Encyclopedia of Magnetic Resonance, Wiley 2008. [2] (a) F. Martini, M. Tonelli, M. Geppi, F. Ridi, S. Borsacchi, L. Calucci, Cem. Concr. Res. 2017, 102, 60; (b) F. Martini, S. Borsacchi, G. Barcaro, M. Caporali, M. Vanni, M. Serrano-Ruiz, M. Geppi, M. Peruzzini, L. Calucci J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2019, 10, 5122; (c) E. Carignani, S. Borsacchi, P. Blasi, A. Schoubben, M. Geppi Mol. Pharmaceutics 2019, 16, 2569-2578.