Cubic three-dimensional hybrid silica solids for nuclear hyperpolarization

• Published in: Chemical science (Cambridge) Vol. 7; no. 11; pp. 6846 - 6850
• Main Authors: Baudouin, D, van Kalkeren, H A, Bornet, A, Vuichoud, B, Veyre, L, Cavaillès, M, Schwarzwälder, M, Liao, W-C, Gajan, D, Bodenhausen, G, Emsley, L, Lesage, A, Jannin, S, Copéret, C, Thieuleux, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Royal Society of Chemistry 01-01-2016
• Subjects: Chemical Sciences; Design improvements; Diffusion; Filtration; Networks; Polarization; Porosity; Radicals; Silicon dioxide
• ISSN: 2041-6520; 2041-6539
• DOI: 10.1039/c6sc02055k

Hyperpolarization of metabolites by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (D-DNP) for MRI applications often requires fast and efficient removal of the radicals (polarizing agents). Ordered mesoporous SBA-15 silica materials containing homogeneously dispersed radicals, referred to as HYperPolarizing SOlids (HYPSOs), enable high polarization -
(
H) = 50% at 1.2 K - and straightforward separation of the polarizing HYPSO material from the hyperpolarized solution by filtration. However, the one-dimensional tubular pores of SBA-15 type materials are not ideal for nuclear spin diffusion, which may limit efficient polarization. Here, we develop a generation of hyperpolarizing solids based on a SBA-16 structure with a network of pores interconnected in three dimensions, which allows a significant increase of polarization,
(
H) = 63% at 1.2 K. This result illustrates how one can improve materials by combining a control of the incorporation of radicals with a better design of the porous network structures.