New books: NMR Crystallography

edited by Robin K. Harris, Roderick E. Wasylishen, Melinda J. Duer
Hardcover: 520 pages
Publisher: Wiley; January 2010
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0470699614
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0470699612
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/0470699612

Contributed by David Bryce

A new book on the subject of NMR crystallography has been published by Wiley as part of their "Encyclopedia of Magnetic Resonance Handbooks" series. While it will undoubtedly serve as a valuable reference for novices and experts alike, at 520 pages it is somewhat larger than a typical 'handbook'. Edited by our own Rod Wasylishen, along with the UK's Robin Harris and Melinda Duer, there are several Canadian contributors. We defer a full review until a later date; here, we provide a brief overview of the contents and highlight some Canadian contributions.

The volume is divided into six sections covering key areas including introductions to fundamental NMR interactions, crystal structure determination using NMR, properties of the crystalline state, and applications to crystalline solids. Rod Wasylishen (Alberta) presents the basics of dipolar and indirect coupling, and Darren Brouwer (Redeemer) discusses the topic of interplay between NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, both areas in which these researchers have had a great impact. Following my own contribution on "Tensor Interplay", Lindsay Cahill and Gillian Goward (McMaster) examine intermolecular interactions and structural motifs within the framework of NMR crystallography. Rotational and translation dynamics, which can complicate the interpretation of NMR spectra, particularly in the context of obtaining crystallographic information, are discussed in a subsequent chapter by the National Research Council's Chris Ratcliffe. The final Canadian contribution comes from Kenneth Jeffrey and Glenn Penner (Guelph), who tackle the subject of structural phase transitions.

The National Ultrahigh-Field NMR Facility for Solids in Ottawa has a copy of this wonderful volume on-hand, courtesy of Rod Wasylishen, for you to peruse during your next visit!

Canadian contributions

R.E. Wasylishen "Dipolar & Indirect Coupling: Basics," Chapter 10, NMR Crystallography EMR Handbook, Eds. R.K. Harris, R.E. Wasylishen, M.J. Duer, Wiley (2009) pp. 127-136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470034590.emrstm1023

D.H. Brouwer "Interplay between NMR & Single-crystal X-ray Diffraction," Chapter 18, NMR Crystallography EMR Handbook, Eds. R.K. Harris, R.E. Wasylishen, M.J. Duer, Wiley (2009) pp. 263-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470034590.emrstm1041

D.L. Bryce "Tensor Interplay," Chapter 20, NMR Crystallography EMR Handbook, Eds. R.K. Harris, R.E. Wasylishen, M.J. Duer, Wiley (2009) pp. 289-301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470034590.emrstm1039

L.S. Cahill, G.R. Goward "Intermolecular Interactions & Structural Motifs," Chapter 21, NMR Crystallography EMR Handbook, Eds. R.K. Harris, R.E. Wasylishen, M.J. Duer, Wiley (2009) pp. 305-319. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470034590.emrstm1074

C.I. Ratcliffe "Rotational & Translational Dynamics," Chapter 24, NMR Crystallography EMR Handbook, Eds. R.K. Harris, R.E. Wasylishen, M.J. Duer, Wiley (2009) pp. 355-373. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470034590.emrstm1040

K.R. Jeffrey, G.H. Penner "Structural Phase Transitions," Chapter 26, NMR Crystallography EMR Handbook, Eds. R.K. Harris, R.E. Wasylishen, M.J. Duer, Wiley (2009) pp. 387-413. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470034590.emrstm1051