Background suppression in MAS NMR

Pulse sequences for suppressing background signals from spinning modules used in magic-angle spinning NMR are described. These pulse sequences are based on spatially selective composite 90° pulses originally reported by Bax, which provide for no net excitation of spins outside the homogeneous region of the coil. We have achieved essentially complete suppression of background signals originating from our Vespel spinning module (which uses a free-standing coil) in both ¹H and ¹³C spectra without notable loss in signal intensity. Successful modification of both Bloch decay and cross-polarization pulse sequences to include spatially selective pulses was essential to acquire background-free spectra for weak samples. Background suppression was also found to be particularly valuable for both T₁ and T_1ϱ, relaxation measurements.