A non-synthetic approach to extending the lifetime of hyperpolarized molecules using DO solvation.

Although dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization is a robust technique to significantly increase magnetic resonance signal, the short T relaxation time of most C-nuclei limits the timescale of hyperpolarized experiments. To address this issue, we have characterized a non-synthetic approach to extend the hyperpolarized lifetime of C-nuclei in close proximity to solvent-exchangeable protons. Protons exhibit stronger dipolar relaxation than deuterium, so dissolving these compounds in DO to exchange labile protons with solvating deuterons results in longer-lived hyperpolarization of the C-nucleus 2-bonds away. C T and T times were longer in DO versus HO for all molecules in this study. This phenomenon can be utilized to improve hyperpolarized signal-to-noise ratio as a function of longer T, and enhanced spectral and imaging resolution via longer T.