SABRE-SHEATH hyperpolarized ¹⁵N₂-imidazole for Zn²⁺ sensing

Zinc ions are essential for numerous biological functions and activities. Accordingly, Zn²⁺ sensors are crucial in biomedical research to understand the role of Zn²⁺ in health and disease. Here, we demonstrated the viability of SABRE-SHEATH hyperpolarized ¹⁵N₂-imidazole, providing an NMR signal enhancement of 45 700 fold (p = 2.15%), as a probe for Zn²⁺ sensing by monitoring the Zn-imidazole interaction using NMR and extracted a LOD of 1.3 mM. This study is one of the first demonstrations of SABRE-SHEATH hyperpolarized ¹⁵N as a sensor of other non-hyperpolarized species, which promises chemical sensing without penetration-depth limitations.