Beyond periodicity: probing disorder in crystalline materials by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

We show that solid-state NMR can probe the structure of crystalline materials when disorder is present and, hence, this provides a method to extend the periodic-based description obtained by diffraction techniques. Reviewing some of our recently published results, we first address the issue of NMR sensitivity using wollastonite CaSiO3. We then consider the atomic scale structure of solid-solution in the system La2Si2O7-Y2Si2O7 and finally examine the Al/Si substitution in gehlenite CaAl2SiO7. Those examples allow us to propose an extended structural description of materials based on the definition of chemical and/or structural local environments.