Hilty Research Group
Chemistry Department
Texas A&M University
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Application of DNP Hyperpolarization in Chemistry
Studying Polymerization Reactions
Real-time, hyperpolarization enhanced NMR is well suited for the study of reactions on the sub-second to second time scale. Many chemically catalyzed processes fall under this regime. We are using hyperpolarized NMR for studying polymerization reactions. The picture shows a polymerization reaction of cyanoacrylate.
Kinetics and Spin Relaxation in Organic Reactions
In a real-time, hyperpolarization enhanced experiment, spin-relaxation plays an important role in addition to reaction kinetics. This effect can be seen in the initial increase of the reaction product intensity, which is followed by a decrease. In the Diels-Alder reaction of hyperpolarized 1,4-diphenylbutadiene with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione that is shown in the picure, the peak at 6 ppm (green) follows this pattern. By combining the differential equations describing the reaction with those for spin-relaxation, we are able to extract both reaction kinetics and relaxation. Relaxation parameters can give information about the structure of reaction products or intermediates, even if those are not directly observed.
