Probing hydrogen bonding in solids using solid state NMR spectroscopy

Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful and versatile technique for probing structural and dynamic properties of solid materials, and can provide detailed insights into the properties of hydrogen bonded systems. Of particular interest in this regard are solid state NMR experiments that investigate either the hydrogen atom directly involved in the hydrogen bond (employing H-1 NMR or H-2 NMR techniques) or the atoms within, or in close proximity of, the hydrogen bond donor and acceptor groups (employing, for example, C-13,(SN)-S-15, O-17, Si-29 or P-31 NMR techniques). To a large extent, the versatility of solid state NMR spectroscopy arises from this multinuclear capability, and the fact that there is considerable complementarity in the information that solid state NMR studies of different nuclei can provide. The aim of this chapter is to highlight some of the ways in which solid state NMR techniques, encompassing both traditional and recently developed methods, can be exploited towards understanding fundamental structural and dynamic properties of hydrogen bonded solids, focusing in particular on organic molecular materials.