Formulation and utilization of choline based samples for dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization

Abstract

Hyperpolarization by the dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) technique permits the generation of high spin polarization of solution state. However, sample formulation for dissolution-DNP is often difficult, as concentration and viscosity must be optimized to yield a dissolved sample with sufficient concentration, while maintaining polarization during the dissolution process. The unique chemical properties of choline permit the generation of highly soluble salts as well as deep eutectic mixtures with carboxylic acids and urea. We describe the formulation of these samples and compare their performance to more traditional sample formulations. Choline yields stable samples with exceptional polarization performance while simultaneously offering the capability to easily remove the choline after dissolution, perform experiments with the hyperpolarized choline, or anything in between.

Keywords: Dynamic nuclear polarization; Glassing agents; Hyperpolarization; NMR.