Bridging the Gap: From Homogeneous to Heterogeneous Parahydrogen‐induced Hyperpolarization and Beyond

Abstract

Demonstration of parahydrogen‐induced polarization effects in hydrogenations catalyzed by heterogeneous catalysts instead of metal complexes in a homogeneous solution has opened an entirely new dimension for parahydrogen‐based research, demonstrating its applicability not only for the production of catalyst‐free hyperpolarized liquids and gases and long‐lived non‐equilibrium spin states for potential biomedical applications, but also for addressing challenges of modern fundamental and industrial catalysis including advanced mechanistic studies of catalytic reactions and operando NMR and MRI of reactors. This essay summarizes the progress achieved in this field by highlighting the research contributed to it by our colleague and friend Kirill V. Kovtunov whose scientific career ended unexpectedly and tragically at the age of 37. His role in this research was certainly crucial, further enhanced by a vast network of his contacts and collaborations at the national and international level.

Iron-Catalyzed Parahydrogen Induced Polarization

“…This constitutes a hurdle in the implementation of PHIP in biomedical applications . Heterogeneous catalytic systems for PHIP − and a recent example by Duckett and Weller reported impressive hyperpolarization at room temperature via para hydrogenation of gaseous alkenes using a solid-state molecular organometallic (SMOM) catalyst have been reported to address this impediment . Homogeneous catalysts based on more benign first-row transition metals are an attractive alternative but have remained comparatively underexplored in this area of research, mainly due to the difficulty of meeting the requirements for PHIP in such systems.…”