More than 10,000-fold enhanced magnetic resonance signals with >20-min signal lifetimes on universal biomolecular markers.

Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) is a fast and convenient NMR hyperpolarization method that uses cheap and readily available para-hydrogen as a hyperpolarization source. SABRE can hyperpolarize protons and heteronuclei. Here we focus on the heteronuclear variant introduced as SABRE-SHEATH (SABRE in SHield Enables Alignment Transfer to Heteronuclei) and nitrogen-15 targets in particular. We show that 15N-SABRE works more efficiently and on a wider range of substrates than 1H-SABRE, greatly generalizing the SABRE approach. In addition, we show that nitrogen-15 offers significantly extended T1 times of up to 12 minutes. Long T1 times enable higher hyperpolarization levels but also hold the promise of hyperpolarized molecular imaging for several tens of minutes. Detailed characterization and optimization are presented, leading to nitrogen-15 polarization levels in excess of 10% on several compounds.

Parahydrogen is an inexpensive and readily available source of hyperpolarization used to enhance magnetic resonance signals by up to 4 orders of magnitude above thermal signals obtained at ~10 T. A significant challenge for applications is fast signal decay after hyperpolarization. Here, we use parahydrogen based polarization transfer catalysis at micro-Tesla fields (first introduced as SABRE-SHEATH) to hyperpolarize 13C2 spin pairs and find decay time constants of 12 s for magnetization at 0.3 mT, which are extended to 2 minutes at that same field, when long-lived singlet states are hyperpolarized instead. Enhancements over thermal at 8.5 T are between 30 and 170 fold (0.02% to 0.12% polarization). We control the spin dynamics of polarization transfer by choice of μT field allowing for deliberate hyperpolarization of either magnetization or long-lived singlet states. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental evidence identify two energetically close mechanisms for polarization transfer: First, a model that involves direct binding of the 13C2 pair to the polarization transfer catalyst (PTC), and second, a model transferring polarization through auxiliary protons in substrates.

Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) is an inexpensive, fast, and even continuous hyperpolarization technique that uses para-hydrogen as hyperpolarization source. However, current SABRE faces a number of stumbling blocks for translation to biochemical and clinical settings. Difficulties include inefficient polarization in in water, relatively short lived 1H-polarization, and relatively limited substrate scope. Here we use a water soluble polarization transfer catalyst to hyperpolarize nitrogen-15 in a variety of molecules with SABRE-SHEATH (SABRE in Shield Enables Alignment Transfer to Heteronuclei). This strategy works in pure H2O or D2O solutions, on substrates that could not be hyperpolarized in traditional 1H-SABRE experiments, and we record 15N T1 relaxation times of up to 2 min.

Diazirines are an attractive class of potential molecular tags for magnetic resonance imaging owing to their biocompatibility and ease of incorporation into a large variety of molecules. As recently reported, N -diazirine can be hyperpolarized by the SABRE-SHEATH method, sustaining both singlet and magnetization states, thus offering a path to long-lived polarization storage. Herein, we show the generality of this approach by illustrating that the diazirine tag alone is sufficient for achieving excellent signal enhancements with long-lasting polarization. Our investigations reveal the critical role of Lewis basic additives, including water, on achieving SABRE-promoted hyperpolarization. The application of this strategy to a N -diazirine-containing choline derivative demonstrates the potential of N -diazirines as molecular imaging tags for biomedical applications.