Rapid-melt Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

In recent years, Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) has re-emerged as a means to ameliorate the inherent problem of low sensitivity in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Here, we present a novel approach to DNP enhanced liquid-state NMR based on rapid melting of a solid hyperpolarized sample followed by 'in situ' NMR detection. This method is applicable to small (10nl to 1μl) sized samples in a microfluidic setup. The method combines generic DNP enhancement in the solid state with the high sensitivity of stripline (1)H NMR detection in the liquid state. Fast cycling facilitates options for signal averaging or 2D structural analysis. Preliminary tests show solid-state (1)H enhancement factors of up to 500 for H2O/D2O/d6-glycerol samples doped with TEMPOL radicals. Fast paramagnetic relaxation with nitroxide radicals, In nonpolar solvents such as toluene, we find proton enhancement factors up to 400 with negligible relaxation losses in the liquid state, using commercially available BDPA radicals. A total recycling delay (including sample freezing, DNP polarization and melting) of about 5s can be used. The present setup allows for a fast determination of the hyper-polarization as function of the microwave frequency and power. Even at the relatively low field of 3.4T, the method of rapid melting DNP can facilitate the detection of small quantities of molecules in the picomole regime.