Adv Polym Sci (2013) 261: 295–320
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_255
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 27 October 2013
Probing Macromolecular and
Supramolecular Structure, Dynamics,
and Function by Magnetic Resonance
Hans Wolfgang Spiess
Abstract The use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, both electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for elucidating the
structure, dynamics, and function of macromolecular and supramolecular systems
is described. The role of chain conformation in governing supramolecular organization is emphasized. Examples include polymers with conformational memory,
polypeptides, dendronized polymers, as well as functional macromolecular and
supramolecular systems for organic-based electronics. Acknowledging Hermann
Staudinger’s vision similarities between synthetic polymers and biopolymers, e.g.,
partially disordered proteins, are addressed. Moreover, the need to apply a multitude of techniques in studying the structure and dynamics of such complex systems
is emphasized.
Keywords Biopolymers Á Dynamics Á Electron paramagnetic spectroscopy Á NMR
spectroscopy Á Polymers Á Structure
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
2 Solid State NMR and Pulsed EPR Techniques for Analyzing Structure and Dynamics . 297
3 Structure and Dynamics of Macromolecular Systems Governed by Their Local
Conformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
3.1 Conformational Memory in Synthetic Polymers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
3.2 Self-Assembly and Dynamics of Polypeptides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
3.3 Protein Dynamics and Flexibility: Order and Disorder in Proteins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
3.4 Dendronized Polymers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
H.W. Spiess
Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research, P. O. Box 3148, 55021 Mainz, Germany
e-mail: spiess@mpip-mainz.mpg.de
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_255
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 27 October 2013
Probing Macromolecular and
Supramolecular Structure, Dynamics,
and Function by Magnetic Resonance
Hans Wolfgang Spiess
Abstract The use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, both electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for elucidating the
structure, dynamics, and function of macromolecular and supramolecular systems
is described. The role of chain conformation in governing supramolecular organization is emphasized. Examples include polymers with conformational memory,
polypeptides, dendronized polymers, as well as functional macromolecular and
supramolecular systems for organic-based electronics. Acknowledging Hermann
Staudinger’s vision similarities between synthetic polymers and biopolymers, e.g.,
partially disordered proteins, are addressed. Moreover, the need to apply a multitude of techniques in studying the structure and dynamics of such complex systems
is emphasized.
Keywords Biopolymers Á Dynamics Á Electron paramagnetic spectroscopy Á NMR
spectroscopy Á Polymers Á Structure
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
2 Solid State NMR and Pulsed EPR Techniques for Analyzing Structure and Dynamics . 297
3 Structure and Dynamics of Macromolecular Systems Governed by Their Local
Conformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
3.1 Conformational Memory in Synthetic Polymers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
3.2 Self-Assembly and Dynamics of Polypeptides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
3.3 Protein Dynamics and Flexibility: Order and Disorder in Proteins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
3.4 Dendronized Polymers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
H.W. Spiess
Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research, P. O. Box 3148, 55021 Mainz, Germany
e-mail: spiess@mpip-mainz.mpg.de