Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Cross-polarization 13C-NMR spectroscopy with ‘magic angle’ spinning characterizes organic matter in whole soils

Abstract

The limitations of 13C cross-polarization (CP) NMR spectroscopy with ‘magic angle’ spinning to characterize the organic matter in whole soils have recently been discussed1: resonances from rotor materials and from spinning sidebands prevented a complete analysis of the types and forms of carbon in whole soils. We now report experiments in which these problems have been overcome. The results show that carboxylic, aromatic, acetal, alkoxy and alkyl carbon are present in soils and they allow approximate estimates of various carbon types to be made without previous extraction from the soil.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barron, P. F. & Wilson, M. A. Nature 289, 275–276 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Barron, P. F., Wilson, M. A., Stephens, J. F., Cornell, B. A. & Tate, K. R. Nature 286, 585–587 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wilson, M. A., Barron, P. F. & Goh, K. M. Geoderma (in the press).

  4. Goh, K. M. & Williams, M. R. J. Soil Sci. 30, 747–755 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Goh, K. M. & Edmeades, D. C. Soil Biol. Biochem. 11, 127–132 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bull. N.Z. Soil Bur. 26 (3) (1978).

  7. Wilson, M. A., Barron, P. F. & Goh, K. M. J. Soil Sci. 32, 419–425 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Newman, R. H., Tate, K. R., Barron, P. F. & Wilson, M. A. J. Soil Sci. 31, 623–629 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hatcher, P. G., Rowan, R. & Mathingly, M. A. Org. Geochem. 2, 77–85 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bartuska, V. J., Maciel, G. E., Schaefer, J. & Stejskal, E. O. Fuel 56, 345–358 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. VanderHart, D. L. & Retkofsky, H. L. Fuel 55, 202–204 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Maciel, G. E., Bartuska, V. J. & Miknis, F. P. Fuel 58, 391–394 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wilson, M. A. J. Soil Sci. 32, 167–186 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Schnitzer, M. & Khan, S. Y. Soil Organic Matter, 45–47 (Eisevier, New York, (1978).

  15. Anderson, H. A. & Russell, J. D. Nature 260, 597 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Heng, S. thesis, Lincoln College, Canterbury, New Zealand (1980).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wilson, M., Pugmire, R., Zilm, K. et al. Cross-polarization 13C-NMR spectroscopy with ‘magic angle’ spinning characterizes organic matter in whole soils. Nature 294, 648–650 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/294648a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/294648a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing