Directly Bound Deuterons Increase X-Nuclei Hyperpolarization using Dynamic Nuclear Polarization.

Deuterated 13C sites in sugars (D-glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose) showed 6.3-to-17.5-fold higher solid-state dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) levels than their respective protonated sites at 3.35T. This effect was found to be unrelated to the protonation of the bath. Deuterated 15N in sites bound to exchangeable protons ([15N2]urea) showed a 1.3-fold higher polarization than their respective protonated sites at the same magnetic field. This relatively smaller effect was attributed to incomplete deuteration of the 15N sites due to the solvent mixture. For an 15N site that is not bound to protons or deuterons ([15N]nitrate), deuteration of the bath did not affect the polarization level. These findings suggest a phenomenon related to DNP of X-nuclei directly bound to deuteron(s) as opposed to proton(s). It appears that direct binding to deuterons increases the solid-state DNP polarization level of X-nuclei which are otherwise bound to protons.