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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Hyperpolarized Xenon for NMR and MRI Applications
Published on: September 6, 2012
R3-Noria-methanesulfonate: A Molecular Cage with Superior Hyperpolarized Xenon-129 MRI Contrast
Yurii Shepelytskyi1,2, Vira Grynko2,3, Viktoriia Batarchuk1,2
1Chemistry Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada.
Abstract:
Hyperpolarized (HP) xenon-129 (129Xe) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to be used as a molecular imaging modality. For this purpose, numerous supramolecular cages have been developed and evaluated in the past. Herein, we report a novel and unique macrocycle that can be successfully utilized for xenon MRI, the resorcinarene trimer methanesulfonate (R3-Noria-MeSO3H). This molecule is capable of two different contrast mechanisms for xenon-MRI, resulting from an increase in the effective spin-spin relaxation and hyperpolarized chemical exchange saturation transfer (HyperCEST). We have demonstrated a superior negative contrast caused by R3-Noria-MeSO3H on HP 129Xe MRI at 3.0 T as well as HyperCEST imaging of the studied macrocycle. Additionally, we have found that the complex aggregation behaviors of R3-Noria-methanesulfonate and its impact on xenon-129 relaxivity are an area for future study.
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