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

Deuterated C-13 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 N-15 in sites bound to exchangeable protons ([N-15(2)]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 N-15 sites due to the solvent mixture. For a N-15 site that is not bound to protons or deuterons ([N-15]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.