Measurement of Homonuclear Proton Couplings Based on Cross-peak Nulling in CT-COSY

A method in which 1H-1H scalar and dipolar couplings are obtained from the cross-peak nulling condition in a series of constant-time (CT) COSY spectra, as a function of the duration of the CT period, is described. The method is best suited for measurement of 1H-1H couplings in the range 5-20 Hz. It is shown, however, that results can be sensitive to cross-correlated relaxation effects. Also, artifactual resonances, resulting from strong coupling, can be quite pronounced in CT-COSY spectra, even when /J(AB)/(deltaA-deltaB)/<0.1. The experiments are demonstrated for the DNA dodecamer d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2, both in isotropic solution and in a liquid crystalline phase.