A Versatile Compact Parahydrogen Membrane Reactor

We introduce a Spin Transfer Automated Reactor (STAR) that produces continuous parahydrogen induced polarization (PHIP), which is stable for hours to days. We use the PHIP variant called signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE), which is particularly well suited to produce continuous hyperpolarization. The STAR is operated in conjunction with benchtop (1.1 T) and high field (9.4 T) NMR magnets, highlighting the versatility of this system to operate with any NMR or MRI system. The STAR uses semipermeable membranes to efficiently deliver parahydrogen into solutions at nano to milli Tesla fields, which enables H-1, C-13, and N-15 hyperpolarization on a large range of substrates including drugs and metabolites. The unique features of the STAR are leveraged for important applications, including continuous hyperpolarization of metabolites, desirable for examining steady-state metabolism in vivo, as well as for continuous RASER signals suitable for the investigation of new physics.

Automated summary

The Spin Transfer Automated Reactor (STAR) introduced in the study can continuously produce stable parahydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) using the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) variant. Operated with both benchtop and high field NMR magnets, the STAR efficiently delivers parahydrogen into solutions for hyperpolarization of various substrates. The unique features of the STAR are leveraged for important applications, such as continuous hyperpolarization of metabolites and continuous RASER signals for exploring new physics.