SPIN-POLARIZED XE-129 NMR-STUDY OF A POLYMER SURFACE

A method for NMR studies of low surface area materials using optically pumped xenon gas is described. The method has been used to investigate spin-polarized xenon adsorbed onto poly(acrylic acid). The temperature dependence of the xenon-surface interaction, as measured by the xenon chemical shifts extrapolated to zero pressure, is shown to be consistent with a simple model of chemical exchange between the gas and adsorbed phases. The magnitude of the surface contribution to the Xe-129 chemical shift indicates a relatively strong interaction between xenon and poly(acrylic acid), possibly due to the polar carboxylic acid functional groups at the polymer surface. From the pressure dependence of the Xe-129 shift, the diffusion coefficient of xenon on poly(acrylic acid) is estimated to be 3.3 x 10(-5) cm2/s.