High-throughput continuous-flow system for SABRE hyperpolarization

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Hyperpolarization Techniques
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background:

• Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) enhances NMR signal-to-noise ratios for small organic molecules.
• Rapid relaxation of hyperpolarized samples necessitates swift transfer to spectrometers.
• Existing SABRE methods face challenges with continuous sample delivery and throughput.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel continuous flow polarizing system for SABRE.
• To enable rapid delivery of SABRE-hyperpolarized samples into NMR instruments.
• To demonstrate the system's performance in terms of throughput and signal enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of a continuous flow SABRE polarizer.
• Testing system performance with varying hydrogen and liquid sample flow rates.
• Acquisition of NMR spectra and MRI of hyperpolarized pyridine in methanol.

Main Results:

• Continuous production of SABRE-hyperpolarized sample with throughputs of several milliliters per second.
• Achieved signal enhancement exceeding two orders of magnitude.
• Demonstrated effective suppression of thermal polarization in non-deuterated solvents due to fast flow.

Conclusions:

• The developed continuous flow SABRE system provides a stable, long-term source of hyperpolarized sample.
• Enables advanced NMR experiments like 2D/3D-NMR and MRI, and flow mapping.
• Overcomes limitations of rapid relaxation and thermal polarization for high-flow systems.