Probing organic-mineral interface in intact bone using magic angle spinning solid state NMR

Organic-mineral interface plays an important role in defining the mechanical properties of bone. Ability to probe this poorly understood interface at the molecular level in intact bone is desirable, and solid state NMR is one of the few techniques available for this. An intact cortical bone was successfully machined and spun at 12.5kHz. The ¹³C-³¹P REDOR pulse sequence was used on a powdered bovine bone to mark carbon environments that are spatially proximate to the surface of mineral phase, thereby giving direct insight on the structure of the organic-mineral interface.