Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding of Steroid Compounds: PFG NMR Diffusion Study, Cold-Spray Ionization (CSI)-MS and X-Ray Analysis

An extensive analysis of hydrogen bonding of steroid compounds in diluted solution is preformed by pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR and cold-spray ionization (CSI)-MS, in the solid state by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The formation of hydrogen bond interaction are quantified and discussed. Although X-ray analysis in the crystalline state and CSI-MS measurement in solution suggested that the observed diffusion coefficient Dobs of the steroid compounds may vary in accordance with the number of hydrogen bonds, the actual observed Dobs value determined from the diffusion studies diminished constantly without correlation on the decreasing numbers of hydrogen bonds. Comparison of two different calibration profiles of calculated molecular volume (Vcal) vs. Dobs, which are obtained from compounds possessing no hydrogen bonding and the steroid compounds, formation of a chain structure (cluster) based on intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the steroid compounds is unambiguously confirmed.