Sensitivity Enhancement in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) by Para-hydrogen Induced Hyperpolarization (SenseNMR)

核磁共振是研究生物和非生物的结构、组成和动力学的最强大的技术之一。尽管它被广泛应用，但潜在的低灵敏度仍然是这项技术的致命弱点。传统上，需要非常昂贵的超导磁体和超长的扫描时间来缓解灵敏度挑战。然而，随着液氦可用性的不确定性不断增加，很明显，核磁共振必须朝着可持续的选项发展，构建基于永久磁体的核磁共振。在过去的十年里，基于这样的系统的核磁共振(称为台式核磁共振)取得了重大进展，并清楚地反映了核磁共振的未来。台面磁铁(~1特斯拉)的磁场强度仍然比传统超导磁铁低一个数量级。不幸的是，这意味着它们被按照更差的灵敏度进行分类，意味着扫描时间更长，单个样本可能需要数天时间。在这个项目中，我们将解决与核磁共振谱相关的长期存在的灵敏度和高成本问题。这将涉及到一种名为超极化的技术的应用。本研究将使用新的SABRE和最近开发的SABRE-Relay方法来实现最重要的核的自旋超极化，包括1H、13C、15N、19F和31P，它们是一系列重要的目标分子-化学标记、试剂、代谢物、药物等的特征。随后，这些超极化的目标将被用于从快速化学识别、跟踪化学命运、样品纯度分析和动力学研究的一系列核磁共振应用。将开发新的分析和核磁共振方法，以实现这些目标，并结合新的仪器和自动化协议。

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most powerful techniquesfor investigating the structure, composition, and dynamics of living andnon-living matter. Despite its widespread applications underlying lowsensitivity remains the achilles heel of the technique. Traditionally,highly expensive superconducting magnets in conjunction with exceedinglylong scan times are required to alleviate the sensitivity challenge.However, with ever increasing uncertainty of liquid Helium availability,it has become clear that NMR must move towards sustainable options builtaround permanent magnets. Over the last decade, NMR based on suchsystems (known as benchtop NMR) has made significant progress andclearly reflects the future of NMR. Tthe magnetic field strengths of thebenchtop magnets (~1 Tesla) are still though an order of magnitude lowerthan those of conventional superconducting magnets. Unfortunately thismeans they are categorized by even poorer sensitivity and meant for evenlonger scan times which can run into days for a single sample.In this project we will address both the long standing issues ofsensitivity and high cost associated with NMR spectroscopy. This willinvolve the application of a technique called hyperpolarization. Thisstudentship will employ the novel SABRE, and recently developedSABRE-Relay methods to achieve the spin hyperpolarization of the mostimportant nuclei including 1H, 13C, 15N, 19F and 31P which feature in anarray of important target molecules - chemical markers, agents,metabolites, drugs etc. Subsequently, these hyperpolarized targets willbe employed for a range of NMR applications from rapid chemicalidentification, tracking chemical fate, sample purity analysis andkinetic studies. Novel analytical and NMR methodologies will bedeveloped to achieve these goals in conjunction with novelinstrumentation and automation protocols.