Two-dimensional Nutation Echo Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Spectroscopy

We discuss two new two-dimensional nuclear quadrupole resonance experiments, both based on the principle of nutation spectroscopy, which can be used to determine the asymmetry parameter, and thus the full quadrupolar tensor, of spin-3/2 nuclei at zero applied magnetic field. The first experiment is a simple nutation pulse sequence in which the first time period (t₁) is the duration of the radiofrequency exciting pulse; and the second (t₂) is the normal free-precession of a quadrupolar nucleus at zero-field. After double Fourier-transformation, the result is a 2 D spectrum in which the first frequency dimension is the nutation spectrum for the quadrupolar nucleus at zero-field. For polycrystalline samples this sequence generates powder lineshapes; the position of the singularities, in these lineshapes can be used to determine the asymmetry parameters n in a very straightforward manner, n has previously only been obtainable using Zeeman perturbed NQR methods. The second sequence is the same nutation experiment with a spin-echo pulse added. The virtue of this refocussing pulse is that it allows acquisition of nutation spectra from samples with arbitrary inhomogeneous linewidth; thus, asymmetry parameters can be determined even where the quadrupolar resonance is wider than the bandwidth of the spectrometer. Experimental examples of ³⁵Cl, ⁸¹Br and ⁶³Cu nutation and nutation-echo spectra are presented.