Ultrafast two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of hyperpolarized solutions

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) NMR is an important tool for elucidating molecular structure and dynamics1. However, the method is limited by the low sensitivity inherent to NMR techniques, resulting in typical acquisition times for 2D NMR spectra ranging from minutes to hours. A number of hyperpolarization techniques have been explored to boost NMR’s sensitivity, including an ex situ dynamic nuclear polarization method capable of yielding—for an array of molecules and under conventional observation conditions for liquid samples—signals that exceed those currently afforded by the highest-field spectrometers by several orders of magnitude2. Whereas this methodology is able to provide the sensitivity equivalent of ∼106 scans, it is constrained to extract its ‘super-spectrum’ within a single transient, making it a poor starting point for conventional 2D NMR acquisitions. Here, we show that if the ex situ dynamic nuclear polarization approach is suitably merged with spatially encoded ultrafast NMR spectroscopy3, 2D NMR spectra of liquid samples at submicromolar concentrations can be acquired within ∼0.1 s.

Cite this article

Frydman, L., Blazina, D. Ultrafast two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of hyperpolarized solutions. Nature Phys 3, 415–419 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys597

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