Enhancing the NMR signals of plant oil components using hyperpolarisation relayed via proton exchange

In this work, the limited sensitivity of magnetic resonance is addressed by using the hyperpolarisation method relayed signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE-Relay) to transfer latent magnetism from para-hydrogen, a readily isolated spin isomer of hydrogen gas, to components of key plant oils such as citronellol, geraniol, and nerol. This is achieved via relayed polarisation transfer in which an [Ir(H)(2)(IMes)(NH2R)(3)]Cl type complex produces hyperpolarised NH2R free in solution, before labile proton exchange between the hyperpolarisation carrier (NH2R) and the OH-containing plant oil component generates enhanced NMR signals for the latter. Consequently, up to ca. 200-fold H-1 (0.65% 1H polarisation) and 800-fold C-13 NMR signal enhancements (0.65% C-13 polarisation) are recorded for these essential oils in seconds. Remarkably, the resulting NMR signals are not only diagnostic, but prove to propagate over large spin systems via a suitable coupling network. A route to optimise the enhancement process by varying the identity of the carrier NH2R, and its concentration is demonstrated. In order to prove utility, these pilot measurements are extended to study a much wider range of plant-derived molecules including rhodinol, verbenol, (1R)-endo-(+)-fenchyl alcohol, (-)-carveol, and linalool. Further measurements are then described which demonstrate citronellol and geraniol can be detected in an off-the-shelf healthcare product rose geranium oil at concentrations of just a few tens of mu M in single scan H-1 NMR measurements, which are not visible in comparable thermally polarised NMR experiments. This work therefore presents a significant expansion of the types of molecules amenable to hyperpolarisation using para-hydrogen and illustrates a real-world application in the diagnostic detection of low concentration analytes in mixtures.

Automated summary

In this work, the limited sensitivity of magnetic resonance is addressed by using the hyperpolarisation method SABRE-Relay to transfer latent magnetism from para-hydrogen to components of key plant oils. The study demonstrates that this method not only enhances the NMR signals of essential oils, but also allows the signals to propagate over large spin systems. By varying the identity and concentration of the carrier, the enhancement process can be optimized. The method is further extended to detect low concentration analytes in mixtures, showcasing its real-world application.