Generating highly polarized nuclear spins in solution using dynamic nuclear polarization

A method to generate strongly polarized nuclear spins in solution has been developed, using Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) at a temperature of 1.2 K, and at a field of 3.354 T, corresponding to an electron spin resonance frequency of 94 GHz. Trityl radicals are used to directly polarize C-13 and other low-gamma nuclei. Subsequent to the DNP process, the solid sample is dissolved rapidly with a warm solvent to create a solution of molecules with highly polarized nuclear spins. Two main applications are proposed: high-resolution liquid state NMR with enhanced sensitivity, and the use of the hyper-polarized solution as an MR imaging agent. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.