Spin Noise Detection of Nuclear Hyperpolarization at 1.2 K

We report proton spin noise spectra of a hyperpolarized solid sample of commonly used “DNP (dynamic nuclear polarization) juice” containing TEMPOL (4‐hydroxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine N‐oxide) and irradiated by a microwave field at a temperature of 1.2 K in a magnetic field of 6.7 T. The line shapes of the spin noise power spectra are sensitive to the variation of the microwave irradiation frequency and change from dip to bump, when the electron Larmor frequency is crossed, which is shown to be in good accordance with theory by simulations. Small but significant deviations from these predictions are observed, which can be related to spin noise and radiation damping phenomena that have been reported in thermally polarized systems. The non‐linear dependence of the spin noise integral on nuclear polarization provides a means to monitor hyperpolarization semi‐quantitatively without any perturbation of the spin system by radio frequency irradiation.     

Saturation of energy levels in analytical atomic fluorescence spectrometry—II. Experimental

In Part I of this investigation, a theoretical model was proposed to describe the saturation of atomic energy levels under conditions of intense but brief irradiation by a suitable excitation source. The experimental verification of that model is presented herein. In this study, the effects of dye laser-induced saturation of analyte concentration, flame composition and atomic properties of the elements were all examined and quantitated in terms of a measurable parameter, the saturation spectral power density (SSPD). The results of those studies reveal that SSPD is relatively independent of analyte concentration and flame composition but is a strong function of the nature of each particular atomic transition employed. Moreover, because of strong quenching in most analytical flames, a simple steady-state model for saturation applies even for brief (5.6 ns) pulses from a nitrogen-laser pumped dye laser. Most importantly, it is shown that reliable values for the SSPD can be obtained only through careful experimental design; considerations important in such measurements are therefore carefully detailed.     

Analytical solution for the depolarization of hyperpolarized nuclei by chemical exchange saturation transfer between free and encapsulated xenon (HyperCEST)

We present an analytical solution of the Bloch-McConnell equations for the case of chemical exchange saturation transfer between hyperpolarized nuclei in cavities and in solvent (HyperCEST experiment). This allows quantitative investigation of host-guest interactions by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and, due to the strong HyperCEST signal enhancement, even NMR imaging. Hosts of interest can be hydrophobic cavities in macromolecules or artificial cages like cryptophane-A which was proposed as a targeted biosensor. Relevant system parameters as exchange rate and host concentration can be obtained from the monoexponential depolarization process which is shown to be governed by the smallest eigenvalue in modulus. For this dominant eigenvalue we present a useful approximation leading to the depolarization rate for the case of on- and off-resonant irradiation. It is shown that this rate is a generalization of the longitudinal relaxation rate in the rotating frame. We demonstrate for the free and cryptophane-A-encapsulated xenon system, by comparison with numerical simulations, that HyperCEST experiments are precisely described in the valid range of this widely applicable analytical approximation. Altogether, the proposed analytical solution allows optimization and quantitative analysis of HyperCEST experiments but also characterization and optimal design of possible biosensors.     

Two-photon two-color nuclear magnetic resonance

Two-photon excitation has recently been demonstrated to be a practical means of exciting nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals by radio-frequency (rf) irradiation at half the normal resonance frequency. In this work, two-photon excitation is treated with average Hamiltonian theory and shown to be a consequence of higher order terms in the Magnus expansion. It is shown that the excitation condition may be satisfied not only with rf at half resonance, but also with two independent rf fields, where the two frequencies sum to or differ by the resonance frequency. The technique is demonstrated by observation of proton NMR signals at 400 MHz while simultaneously exciting at 30 and 370 MHz. Advantages of this so-called two-color excitation, such as a dramatic increase in nutation rate over half-frequency excitation, along with a variety potential applications are discussed.     

A “reduced” model theory for molecular decay processes

It is shown how a many-level radiationless model may be replaced by an effective one involving only the states of interest. When the coupling between the states of interest and the dissipative quasicontinuum is assumed to be not a constant one, the effective interaction can exhibit a non-markovian feature even in the statistical limit. Then, irradiation fields the intensities of which are not negligible compared to the excited state linewidth, are shown to reduce the coupling between the system of interest and its effective “thermal bath”. The previsions of the theory are checked by comparison with results obtained directly from the diagonalization of the Morokuma and Freed hamiltonian.     

Some considerations on the saturation parameter for 2- and 3-level systems in laser excited fluorescence

The parameter “saturation spectral irradiance”, defined for a spectrally continuum laser source interacting in a non-linear manner with a dilute atomic (molecular) vapor, is discussed for both 2 and 3 energy level systems. It is shown that the definition of such parameter is meaningful only when steady state conditions are warranted. For short excitation pulses, although steady state can still be attained when the optical transition is saturated, the saturation parameter cannot be evaluated from the conventional fluorescence saturation curve. Therefore, such a definition loses its meaning even for a simple 2-level system. As a consequence, serious experimental errors can occur. The same conclusions apply to a 3-level system. Several experimental possibilities of evaluating the saturation parameter are discussed. Finally, we show that when a 3-level system is compared with a 2-level system, the value of such parameter depends essentially upon the total coupling rate of the third level with the other levels.     

Non-linear optical behavior in atomic fluorescence flame spectrometry

The non-linear dependence of the atomic fluorescence radiance upon the irradiance of the excitation source is discussed. Theoretical equations based on the assumption of steady state conditions are derived for a two-level atomic system and for a continuum source of excitation both on a relative as well as on an absolute basis. The theoretical results show that the approach of saturation sets a limit to the fluorescence radiance. The experimental results obtained with the use of a pulsed, tunable dye laser by nebulizing different elements in analytical flames are shown to be in satisfactory agreement with these theoretical results. The theory also predicts that, for a two-level system, the proportional dependence of the fluorescence signal upon the quantum efficiency observed at low irradiances is removed under saturation conditions.     

Microdroplet dissolution into a second-phase solvent using a micropipet technique: test of the Epstein-Plesset model for an aniline-water system

The Epstein-Plesset model was originally derived for the dissolution of a single gas bubble in an infinite aqueous solution (Epstein, P. S.; Plesset, M. S. J. Chem. Phys. 1950, 18, 1505-1509). The micropipet manipulation technique was previously shown to test this theory on air microbubbles and air-filled lipid-coated microparticles accurately and appropriately (Duncan, P. B.; Needham, D. Langmuir 2004, 20, 2567-2578). This same theory is now tested to model liquid microdroplet dissolution in a well-defined solution environment. As presented previously for the gas-bubble system, holding a single microparticle at the end of a micropipet was not shown to affect the dissolution profile and allowed isotropic diffusion significantly, a necessary condition for the validation of the theory. Here, an aniline-water system with an initial droplet diameter of 50 microm was used as a model liquid-liquid system. A microdroplet of aniline in an aqueous solution presatureated with aniline at distinct levels was tested, as was the reverse system of a water droplet in an aniline solution. The dissolution lifetime was shown to increase with increasing medium saturation fraction according to the Epstein-Plesset time-dependent theory (including the time required to establish the stationary layer) neglecting interfacial tension. The droplet lifetime can be increased by an order of magnitude (from about 10 to 100 s) by increasing the saturation fraction from 0 to 0.9 and by another order of magnitude by increasing from 0.9 to 0.99. The technique proved to be an accurate and appropriate method to test the dissolution of single liquid microdroplets in a second liquid solution and establishes a systematic experimental and theoretical approach to the investigation of the formation of polymer and other microparticles.     

The nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of a carbon-black-filled elastomer

The stress relaxation behavior of a carbon-black-filled elastomer is shown to be independent of the state of deformation, and the temperature dependence of its static modulus is in good accord with that predicted by the statistical theory of elasticity. The storage and loss moduli are found to be separable functions of frequency and overall strain effects in both simple tension and pure shear. A separability of static deformational and dynamic strain amplitude effects is found for the storage modulus, but could not be determined for the loss modulus. However, the loss tangent is found to be a function of the static state of deformation. From these experimental results, it is shown that an existing viscoelasticity theory for an unfilled system when specialized to uniaxial extensions has a form which can be made suitable for representing the dynamic behavior of filled systems by the introduction of two functions of the dynamic strain amplitude.     

Sensitivity enhancement and heteronuclear distance measurements in biological 17O solid-state NMR

In this contribution we present a comprehensive approach to study hydrogen bonding in biological and biomimetic systems through 17O and 17O-1H solid-state NMR combined with density functional theory calculations of 17O and 1H NMR parameters. We explore the signal enhancement of 17O in L-tyrosine.HCl using repetitive double-frequency swept radio frequency pulses in solid-state NMR. The technique is compatible with high magnetic fields and fast magic-angle spinning of the sample. A maximum enhancement by a factor of 4.3 is obtained in the signal-to-noise ratio of the selectively excited 17O central transition in a powdered sample of 17Oeta-L-tyrosine.HCl at an external field of 14.1 T and a spinning frequency of 25 kHz. As little as 128 transients lead to meaningful 17O spectra of the same sample at an external field of 18.8 T and a spinning frequency of 50 kHz. Furthermore we employed supercycled symmetry-based pulse sequences on the protons to achieve heteronuclear longitudinal two-spin-order (IzSz) recoupling to determine 17O-1H distances. These sequences recouple the heteronuclear dipolar 17O-1H couplings, where dipolar truncation is absent, while decoupling the homonuclear proton dipolar interactions. They can be applied at fast magic-angle-spinning frequencies up and beyond 50 kHz and are very robust with respect to 17O quadrupolar couplings and both 17O and 1H chemical shift anisotropies, which makes them suitable for the use at high external magnetic fields. The method is demonstrated by determining the 17Oeta-1H distance in L-tyrosine.HCl at a spinning frequency of 50 kHz and an external field of 18.8 T.     

The statistical overlap theory of chromatography using power law (fractal) statistics

The chromatographic dimensionality was recently proposed as a measure of retention time spacing based on a power law (fractal) distribution. Using this model, a statistical overlap theory (SOT) for chromatographic peaks is developed that estimates the number of peak maxima as a function of the chromatographic dimension, saturation and scale. Power law models exhibit a threshold region whereby below a critical saturation value no loss of peak maxima due to peak fusion occurs as saturation increases. At moderate saturation, behavior is similar to the random (Poisson) peak model. At still higher saturation, the power law model shows loss of peaks nearly independent of the scale and dimension of the model. The physicochemical meaning of the power law scale parameter is discussed and shown to be equal to the Boltzmann-weighted free energy of transfer over the scale limits. The scale is discussed. Small scale range (small β) is shown to generate more uniform chromatograms. Large scale range chromatograms (large β) are shown to give occasional large excursions of retention times; this is a property of power laws where "wild" behavior is noted to occasionally occur. Both cases are shown to be useful depending on the chromatographic saturation. A scale-invariant model of the SOT shows very simple relationships between the fraction of peak maxima and the saturation, peak width and number of theoretical plates. These equations provide much insight into separations which follow power law statistics.     

Sensitivity enhancement of solid-state NMR spectra of half-integer spin quadrupolar nuclei: Double- or single-frequency sweeps? Insights from the hyperbolic secant experiment

Improved sensitivity enhancements of the central NMR transition of non-integer spin quadrupolar nuclei in MAS powder samples are realized when only a single satellite transition spinning side band is irradiated using a conventional double-frequency sweep experiment compared to irradiation of the entire spinning side band manifold. For example, for ⁸⁷Rb in RbClO₄, enhancement factors of 2.2 versus 1.9 are observed when only one satellite transition spinning side band is targeted versus the entire spinning side band manifold. Similarly, for ²⁷Al in Al(acac)₃, the corresponding enhancement was 3.4 compared to 2.6.     

Correlation between colloidal stability and surfactant adsorption/association phenomena studied by light scattering

The stability of a colloidal system composed of styrene-acrylate copolymer particles and potassium stearate (KS) anionic surfactant molecules has been determined in terms of the Fuchs stability ratio, W, as a function of the surfactant concentration, by measuring the initial aggregation kinetics using the small-angle light scattering (SALS) technique. The structure of the particle surface is peculiar, being irregularly patterned, and thus represents a model system to investigate colloidal stability of nonsmooth colloidal particles. From the SALS kinetic experiments, it is found that the stability increases dramatically with KS concentration until the saturation of the available surface occurs. At concentrations higher than the saturation concentration, the W value decreases markedly with KS, as a consequence of attractive depletion forces induced by formation of micelles in the water phase. The adsorption isotherm, determined through the surface tension technique, agrees with the W vs KS behavior, with respect to the onset of saturation and the surface-per-molecule value, and it can be described by the two-step Langmuir isotherm. Static light scattering spectra of the particles at different adsorbed amounts of KS have been fitted by means of the Lorenz-Mie theory and accounting for the experimentally determined particle size distribution. The increase in the particle diameter imputable to KS adsorption is sizable. Stability data measured under high fluid shear in a turbulent capillary (in the absence of any screening salt) fit well into this scenario. However, depletion forces are shown to be noncooperative with turbulent shear in the absence of screening electrolytes.     

Photochemical Hole Burning: A Spectroscopic Study of Relaxation Processes in Polymers and Glasses

Photochemical hole burning is a special type of saturation spectroscopy in the optical domain having many analogies with NMR methods. The holes, which are burnt with laser irradiation, appear as small indentations in the absorption spectra of dye molecules which are doped into a polymer or glass in minute concentrations. Based on their narrow line width, photochemical holes can be regarded as highly sensitive spectroscopic probes. They can be used to detect small perturbations of the system by external parameters, giving rise to line-shifts and broadenings. Besides the many well documented, spectroscopic applications of hole burning, it may offer interesting future developments for the spectroscopy of biomolecules and for high-density data storage.     

Photodamaging Effects of Porphyrin in a Human Carcinoma Cell Line

A convenient procedure to visualize the photodynamic effect of porphyrins on cell lines is shown. 5,10,15,20-Tetra(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin (TMP) was used as photosensitizer. The culture flasks bearing a Hep-2 cell line were incubated for 24 h with 1 M of TMP. Under these conditions saturation of the TMP intracellular concentration is obtained. The irradiation of cell cultures for 30 min produces 90% cell mortality, while no toxicity was observed under dark conditions or under irradiation without TMP. This methodology can be used to demonstrate the photodynamic therapy (PDT) process in a laboratory experiment.     

Paramagnetic lanthanide complexes as PARACEST agents for medical imaging

This tutorial review examines the fundamental aspects of a new class of contrast media for MRI based upon the chemical shift saturation transfer (CEST) mechanism. Several paramagnetic versions called PARACEST agents have shown utility as responsive agents for reporting physiological or metabolic information by MRI. It is shown that basic NMR exchange theory can be used to predict how parameters such as chemical shift, bound water lifetimes, and relaxation rates can be optimized to maximize the sensitivity of PARACEST agents.     

A model of electrowetting, reversed electrowetting, and contact angle saturation

While electrowetting has many applications, it is limited at large voltages by contact angle saturation, a phenomenon that is still not well understood. We propose a generalized approach for electrowetting that, among other results, can shed new light on contact angle saturation. The model assumes the existence of a minimum (with respect to the contact angle) in the electric energy and accounts for a quadratic voltage dependence ～U(2) in the low-voltage limit, compatible with the Young-Lippmann formula, and an ～U(-2) saturation at the high-voltage limit. Another prediction is the surprising possibility of a reversed electrowetting regime, in which the contact angle increases with applied voltage. By explicitly taking into account the effect of the counter-electrode, our model is shown to be applicable to several AC and DC experimental electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) setups. Several features seen in experiments compare favorably with our results. Furthermore, the AC frequency dependence of EWOD agrees quantitatively with our predictions. Our numerical results are complemented with simple analytical expressions for the saturation angle in two practical limits.     

Equilibrium solubility of alcohols in polystyrene attained by controlled diffusion

The solubility of alcohols in a polystyrene matrix during the diffusion process was measured by a gravimetric technique. It is shown that the amount of solvent swelling the polymer reaches an equilibrium saturation, which is dependent on the system and temperature, but independent on the sample preparation. Phase diagrams, similar to those measured by TM-DSC and cloud points of known mixtures, can therefore be constructed. These measurements provide accurate and reliable data for a theoretical treatment. The results have been interpreted by Flory-Huggins theory. Interaction parameters as well as their entropic and enthalpic components have been calculated. An analysis based on Hansen solubility parameters has also been performed.     

Two-parameter stochastic resonance in a model of electrochemical oxidation of formic acid on Pt

Stochastic resonance (SR) is shown in a two-parameter system, a model of electrochemical oxidation of formic acid on Pt. The driving current and the saturation coverage for carbon monoxide are two control parameters in this model. Modulation of an excitable focal stable state close to a Hopf bifurcation by a weak periodic signal in one parameter and noise in the other parameter is found to give rise to SR. The results indicate that the noise can enlarge a weak periodic signal and lead the system to be ordered. The scenario and novel aspects of SR in this system are discussed.     

Molecular recognition and screening using a 15N group selective STD NMR method

We present a novel saturation transfer difference (STD) experiment where group selective (GS) saturation of amide protons in (15)N labeled hosts is achieved. It is demonstrated that a train of BIRD(d) pulses that inverts only protons attached to (15)N indeed results in saturation of the amide protons, while the background proton magnetization is much less affected. The undesired effect of partial saturation of the unlabeled protons can be completely cancelled out in difference spectra by switching the (15)N carrier between the on- and the off-resonance frequencies. As a result, clean and artifact-free STD spectra are obtained without the need of time-consuming optimization of experimental parameters and acquiring control spectra in the absence of the host. The use of the (15)N-GS STD experiment is demonstrated for the case of a glycopeptide antibiotic (dimeric eremomycin)-cell-wall analogue peptide (N-Ac-D-Ala) model system where the host and guest (1)H signals overlap. The application seems feasible for ligand screening against proteins without the prerequisite of a clean on-resonance frequency or defined ligand library. The new experiment can be used as the basis for studying intermolecular interactions where the standard STD experiment is difficult to optimize.