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Photo-CIDNP for quantification of micromolar analytes in urine
Marta Stefańska1, Thomas Müntener1, Sebastian Hiller2
1Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Communications Chemistry
|July 31, 2025
Summary
Photo-chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) enhances nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for quantifying low-concentration molecules in urine. This method achieves sensitive drug detection, aiding clinical monitoring with potentially low-cost devices.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biophysical Chemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is limited for analyzing low-concentrated molecules in biofluids due to sensitivity and signal overlap issues.
- Hyperpolarization techniques, specifically photo-chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP), offer a promising solution to enhance NMR sensitivity.
- Matrix interference in complex biological samples like urine presents a significant hurdle for accurate quantitative analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of steady-state photo-CIDNP for the quantitative analysis of target molecules in urine samples.
- To evaluate methods for overcoming matrix interference, including sample spiking and biofluid dilution.
- To demonstrate the potential of photo-CIDNP-enhanced NMR for low-cost, rapid drug quantification in clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- Application of steady-state photo-CIDNP at both high (14.1 T) and low (1.9 T) magnetic field strengths.
- Quantitative analysis of sumatriptan and paracetamol in urine samples using photo-CIDNP.
- Implementation and comparison of sample spiking and biofluid dilution techniques to mitigate matrix effects.
Main Results:
- Photo-CIDNP enabled quantification of analytes at micromolar levels in complex urine matrices.
- Achieved limits of quantification (LOQs) as low as 3.5 μM.
- Demonstrated average errors below 26% with spiking and below 11% with biofluid dilution.
Conclusions:
- Steady-state photo-CIDNP is a viable technique for sensitive and quantitative analysis of drugs in biofluids.
- Biofluid dilution proved more accurate than spiking for matrix interference mitigation in this context.
- Photo-CIDNP-enhanced NMR holds significant potential for rapid drug quantification and clinical monitoring, particularly with accessible benchtop NMR systems.
