“Direct” 13C Hyperpolarization of 13C-Acetate by MicroTesla NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE)

Herein, we demonstrate “direct” ¹³C hyperpolarization of ¹³C-acetate via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE). The standard SABRE homogeneous catalyst [Ir-IMes; [IrCl(COD)(IMes)], (IMes=1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl), imidazole-2-ylidene; COD=cyclooctadiene)] was first activated in the presence of an auxiliary substrate (pyridine) in alcohol. Following addition of sodium 1-¹³C-acetate, parahydrogen bubbling within a microtesla magnetic field (i.e. under conditions of SABRE in shield enables alignment transfer to heteronuclei, SABRE-SHEATH) resulted in positive enhancements of up to ≈100-fold in the ¹³C NMR signal compared to thermal equilibrium at 9.4 T. The present results are consistent with a mechanism of “direct” transfer of spin order from parahydrogen to ¹³C spins of acetate weakly bound to the catalyst, under conditions of fast exchange with respect to the ¹³C acetate resonance, but we find that relaxation dynamics at microtesla fields alter the optimal matching from the traditional SABRE-SHEATH picture. Further development of this approach could lead to new ways to rapidly, cheaply, and simply hyperpolarize a broad range of substrates (e.g. metabolites with carboxyl groups) for various applications, including biomedical NMR and MRI of cellular and in vivo metabolism.     

Heterogeneous Microtesla SABRE Enhancement of 15N NMR Signals

The hyperpolarization of heteronuclei via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) was investigated under conditions of heterogeneous catalysis and microtesla magnetic fields. Immobilization of [IrCl(COD)(IMes)], [IMes=1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl), imidazole‐2‐ylidene; COD=cyclooctadiene] catalyst onto silica particles modified with amine linkers engenders an effective heterogeneous SABRE (HET‐SABRE) catalyst that was used to demonstrate a circa 100‐fold enhancement of ¹⁵N NMR signals in ¹⁵N‐pyridine at 9.4 T following parahydrogen bubbling within a magnetic shield. No ¹⁵N NMR enhancement was observed from the supernatant liquid following catalyst separation, which along with XPS characterization supports the fact that the effects result from SABRE under heterogeneous catalytic conditions. The technique can be developed further for producing catalyst‐free agents via SABRE with hyperpolarized heteronuclear spins, and thus is promising for biomedical NMR and MRI applications.     

Synthesis and 15N NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange of [15N]Dalfampridine at Microtesla Magnetic Fields

Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) technique enables nuclear spin hyperpolarization of wide range of compounds using parahydrogen. Here we present the synthetic approach to prepare ¹⁵N-labeled [¹⁵N]dalfampridine (4-amino[¹⁵N]pyridine) utilized as a drug to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. The synthesized compound was hyperpolarized using SABRE at microtesla magnetic fields (SABRE-SHEATH technique) with up to 2.0 % ¹⁵N polarization. The 7-hour-long activation of SABRE pre-catalyst [Ir(IMes)(COD)Cl] in the presence of [¹⁵N]dalfampridine can be remedied by the use of pyridine co-ligand for catalyst activation while retaining the ¹⁵N polarization levels of [¹⁵N]dalfampridine. The effects of experimental conditions such as polarization transfer magnetic field, temperature, concentration, parahydrogen flow rate and pressure on ¹⁵N polarization levels of free and equatorial catalyst-bound [¹⁵N]dalfampridine were investigated. Moreover, we studied ¹⁵N polarization build-up and decay at magnetic field of less than 0.04 μT as well as ¹⁵N polarization decay at the Earth's magnetic field and at 1.4 T.     

Production of Pure Aqueous 13C‐Hyperpolarized Acetate by Heterogeneous Parahydrogen‐Induced Polarization

A supported metal catalyst was designed, characterized, and tested for aqueous phase heterogeneous hydrogenation of vinyl acetate with parahydrogen to produce ¹³C‐hyperpolarized ethyl acetate for potential biomedical applications. The Rh/TiO₂ catalyst with a metal loading of 23.2 wt % produced strongly hyperpolarized ¹³C‐enriched ethyl acetate‐1‐¹³C detected at 9.4 T. An approximately 14‐fold ¹³C signal enhancement was detected using circa 50 % parahydrogen gas without taking into account relaxation losses before and after polarization transfer by magnetic field cycling from nascent parahydrogen‐derived protons to ¹³C nuclei. This first observation of ¹³C PHIP‐hyperpolarized products over a supported metal catalyst in an aqueous medium opens up new possibilities for production of catalyst‐free aqueous solutions of nontoxic hyperpolarized contrast agents for a wide range of biomolecules amenable to the parahydrogen induced polarization by side arm hydrogenation (PHIP‐SAH) approach.     

Hyperpolarising Pyruvate through Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE)

Hyperpolarisation methods that premagnetise agents such as pyruvate are currently receiving significant attention because they produce sensitivity gains that allow disease tracking and interrogation of cellular metabolism by magnetic resonance. Here, we communicate how signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) can provide strong ¹³C pyruvate signal enhancements in seconds through the formation of the novel polarisation transfer catalyst [Ir(H)₂(η²‐pyruvate)(DMSO)(IMes)]. By harnessing SABRE, strong signals for [1‐¹³C]‐ and [2‐¹³C]pyruvate in addition to a long‐lived singlet state in the [1,2‐¹³C₂] form are readily created; the latter can be observed five minutes after the initial hyperpolarisation step. We also demonstrate how this development may help with future studies of chemical reactivity.     

Computational (DFT) and Experimental (EXAFS) Study of the Interaction of [Ir(IMes)(H)2(L)3] with Substrates and Co‐substrates Relevant for SABRE in Dilute Systems

Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is an emerging hyperpolarization method in NMR spectroscopy, in which hyperpolarization is transferred through the scalar coupling network of para‐hydrogen derived hydrides in a metal complex to a reversibly bound substrate. Substrates can even be hyperpolarized at concentrations below that of the metal complex by addition of a suitable co‐substrate. Here we investigate the catalytic system used for trace detection in NMR spectroscopy with [Ir(IMes)(H)₂(L)₃]⁺ (IMes=1,3‐dimesitylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) as catalyst, pyridine as a substrate and 1‐methyl‐1,2,3‐triazole as co‐substrate in great detail. With density functional theory (DFT), validated by extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments, we provide explanations for the relative abundance of the observed metal complexes, as well as their contribution to SABRE. We have established that the interaction between iridium and ligands cis to IMes is weaker than that with the trans ligand, and that in mixed complexes with pyridine and triazole, the latter preferentially takes up the trans position.     

Synthetic Approaches for 15N-Labeled Hyperpolarized Heterocyclic Molecular Imaging Agents for 15N NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange in Microtesla Magnetic Fields

NMR hyperpolarization techniques enhance nuclear spin polarization by several orders of magnitude resulting in corresponding sensitivity gains. This enormous sensitivity gain enables new applications ranging from studies of small molecules by using high-resolution NMR spectroscopy to real-time metabolic imaging in vivo. Several hyperpolarization techniques exist for hyperpolarization of a large repertoire of nuclear spins, although the ¹³C and ¹⁵N sites of biocompatible agents are the key targets due to their widespread use in biochemical pathways. Moreover, their long T₁ allows hyperpolarized states to be retained for up to tens of minutes. Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is a low-cost and ultrafast hyperpolarization technique that has been shown to be versatile for the hyperpolarization of ¹⁵N nuclei. Although large sensitivity gains are enabled by hyperpolarization, ¹⁵N natural abundance is only ∼0.4 %, so isotopic labeling of the molecules to be hyperpolarized is required in order to take full advantage of the hyperpolarized state. Herein, we describe selected advances in the preparation of ¹⁵N-labeled compounds with the primary emphasis on using these compounds for SABRE polarization in microtesla magnetic fields through spontaneous polarization transfer from parahydrogen. Also, these principles can certainly be applied for hyperpolarization of these emerging contrast agents using dynamic nuclear polarization and other techniques.     

Heterogeneous Solution NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange

A novel variant of an iridium‐based organometallic catalyst was synthesized and used to enhance the NMR signals of pyridine in a heterogeneous phase by immobilization on polymer microbead solid supports. Upon administration of parahydrogen (pH₂) gas to a methanol mixture containing the HET‐SABRE catalyst particles and the pyridine, up to fivefold enhancements were observed in the ¹H NMR spectra after sample transfer to high field (9.4 T). Importantly, enhancements were not due to any residual catalyst molecules in solution, thus supporting the true heterogeneity of the SABRE process. Further significant improvements may be expected by systematic optimization of experimental parameters. Moreover, the heterogeneous catalyst is easy to separate and recycle, thus opening a door to future potential applications varying from spectroscopic studies of catalysis, to imaging metabolites in the body without concern of contamination from expensive and potentially toxic metal catalysts or accompanying organic molecules.     

In Situ and Ex Situ Low‐Field NMR Spectroscopy and MRI Endowed by SABRE Hyperpolarization

By using 5.75 and 47.5 mT nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, up to 10⁵‐fold sensitivity enhancement through signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) was enabled, and subsecond temporal resolution was used to monitor an exchange reaction that resulted in the buildup and decay of hyperpolarized species after parahydrogen bubbling. We demonstrated the high‐resolution low‐field proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of pyridine in a 47.5 mT magnetic field endowed by SABRE. Molecular imaging (i.e. imaging of dilute hyperpolarized substances rather than the bulk medium) was conducted in two regimes: in situ real‐time MRI of the reaction mixture (in which pyridine was hyperpolarized), and ex situ MRI (in which hyperpolarization decays) of the liquid hyperpolarized product. Low‐field (milli‐Tesla range, e.g. 5.75 and 47.5 mT used in this study) parahydrogen‐enhanced NMR and MRI, which are free from the limitations of high‐field magnetic resonance (including susceptibility‐induced gradients of the static magnetic field at phase interfaces), potentially enables new imaging applications as well as differentiation of hyperpolarized chemical species on demand by exploiting spin manipulations with static and alternating magnetic fields.     

Harnessing polarisation transfer to indazole and imidazole through signal amplification by reversible exchange to improve their NMR detectability

The signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) approach has been used to hyperpolarise the substrates indazole and imidazole in the presence of the co‐ligand acetonitrile through the action of the precataysts [IrCl(COD)(IMes)] and [IrCl(COD)(SIMes)]. ²H‐labelled forms of these catalysts were also examined. Our comparison of the two precatalysts [IrCl(COD)(IMes)] and [IrCl(COD)(SIMes)], coupled with ²H labelling of the N‐heterocyclic carbene and associated relaxation and polarisation field variation studies, demonstrates the critical and collective role these parameters play in controlling the efficiency of signal amplification by reversible exchange. Ultimately, with imidazole, a 700‐fold¹H signal gain per proton is produced at 400 MHz, whilst for indazole, a 90‐fold increase per proton is achieved. The co‐ligand acetonitrile proved to optimally exhibit a 190‐fold signal gain per proton in these measurements, with the associated studies revealing the importance the substrate plays in controlling this value. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Investigating pyridazine and phthalazine exchange in a series of iridium complexes in order to define their role in the catalytic transfer of magnetisation from para-hydrogen

The reaction of [Ir(IMes)(COD)Cl], [IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene, COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene] with pyridazine (pdz) and phthalazine (phth) results in the formation of [Ir(COD)(IMes)(pdz)]Cl and [Ir(COD)(IMes)(phth)]Cl. These two complexes are shown by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies to undergo a haptotropic shift which interchanges pairs of protons within the bound ligands. When these complexes are exposed to hydrogen, they react to form [Ir(H)₂(COD)(IMes)(pdz)]Cl and [Ir(H)₂(COD)(IMes)(phth)]Cl, respectively, which ultimately convert to [Ir(H)₂(IMes)(pdz)₃]Cl and [Ir(H)₂(IMes)(phth)₃]Cl, as the COD is hydrogenated to form cyclooctane. These two dihydride complexes are shown, by NMR, to undergo both full N-heterocycle dissociation and a haptotropic shift, the rates of which are affected by both steric interactions and free ligand pK_a values. The use of these complexes as catalysts in the transfer of polarisation from para-hydrogen to pyridazine and phthalazine via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is explored. The possible future use of drugs which contain pyridazine and phthalazine motifs as in vivo or clinical magnetic resonance imaging probes is demonstrated; a range of NMR and phantom-based MRI measurements are reported.     

A New Ir‐NHC Catalyst for Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange in D2O

NMR signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) has been observed for pyridine, methyl nicotinate, N‐methylnicotinamide, and nicotinamide in D₂O with the new catalyst [Ir(Cl)(IDEG)(COD)] (IDEG=1,3‐bis(3,4,5‐tris(diethyleneglycol)benzyl)imidazole‐2‐ylidene). During the activation and hyperpolarization steps, exclusively D₂O was used, resulting in the first fully biocompatible SABRE system. Hyperpolarized ¹H substrate signals were observed at 42.5 MHz upon pressurizing the solution with parahydrogen at close to the Earth's magnetic field, at concentrations yielding barely detectable thermal signals. Moreover, 42‐, 26‐, 22‐, and 9‐fold enhancements were observed for nicotinamide, pyridine, methyl nicotinate, and N‐methylnicotinamide, respectively, in conventional 300 MHz studies. This research opens up new opportunities in a field in which SABRE has hitherto primarily been conducted in CD₃OD. This system uses simple hardware, leaves the substrate unaltered, and shows that SABRE is potentially suitable for clinical purposes.     

Hyperpolarization of cis-15N2-Azobenzene by Parahydrogen at Ultralow Magnetic Fields**

The development of nuclear spins hyperpolarization, and the search for molecules that can be efficiently hyperpolarized is an active area in nuclear magnetic resonance. In this work we present a detailed study of SABRE SHEATH (signal amplification by reversible exchange in shield enabled alignment transfer to heteronuclei) experiments on ¹⁵N₂-azobenzene. In SABRE SHEATH experiments the nuclear spins of the target are hyperpolarized through transfer of spin polarization from parahydrogen at ultralow fields during a reversible chemical process. Azobenzene exists in two isomers, trans and cis. We show that all nuclear spins in cis-azobenzene can be efficiently hyperpolarized by SABRE at suitable magnetic fields. Enhancement factors (relative to 9.4 T) reach up to 3000 for ¹⁵N spins and up to 30 for the ¹H spins. We compare two approaches to observe either hyperpolarized magnetization of ¹⁵N/¹H spins, or hyperpolarized singlet order of the ¹⁵N spin pair. The results presented here will be useful for further experiments in which hyperpolarized cis-¹⁵N₂-azobenzene is switched by light to trans-¹⁵N₂-azobenzene for storing the produced hyperpolarization in the long-lived spin state of the ¹⁵N pair of trans-¹⁵N₂-azobenzene.     

Hyperpolarisation of Mirfentanil by SABRE in the Presence of Heroin

Mirfentanil, a fentanyl derivative that is a μ-opioid partial agonist, is hyperpolarised via Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE), a para-hydrogen-based technique. [Ir(IMes)(COD)Cl] (IMes=1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazole-2-ylidene, COD=cyclooctadiene) was employed as the polarisation transfer catalyst. Following polarisation transfer at 6.5 mT, the pyrazine-protons were enhanced by 78-fold (polarisation, P=0.04 %). The complex [Ir(IMes)(H)₂(mirfentanil)₂(MeOH)]⁺ is proposed to form based on the observation of two hydrides at δ −22.9 (trans to mirfentanil) and −24.7 (trans to methanol). In a mixture of mirfentanil and heroin, the former could be detected using SABRE at concentrations less than 1 % w/w. At the lowest concentration analyzed, the amount of mirfentanil present was 0.18 mg (812 μM) and produced a signal enhancement of −867-fold (P=0.42 %). following polarisation transfer at 6.5 mT.     

Reversible Hyperpolarization of Ketoisocaproate Using Sulfoxide-containing Polarization Transfer Catalysts

The substrate scope of sulfoxide-containing magnetisation transfer catalysts is extended to hyperpolarize α-ketoisocaproate and α-ketoisocaproate-1-[¹³C]. This is achieved by forming [Ir(H)₂(κ²-ketoisocaproate)(N-heterocyclic carbene)(sulfoxide)] which transfers latent magnetism from p-H₂ via the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process. The effect of polarization transfer field on the formation of enhanced ¹³C magnetization is evaluated. Consequently, performing SABRE in a 0.5 μT field enabled most efficient magnetisation transfer. ¹³C NMR signals for α-ketoisocaproate-1-[¹³C] in methanol-d₄ are up to 985-fold more intense than their traditional Boltzmann derived signal intensity (0.8 % ¹³C polarisation). Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals the formation of the novel catalyst decomposition products [Ir(μ-H)(H)₂(IMes)(SO(Ph)(Me)₂)]₂ and [(Ir(H)₂(IMes)(SO(Me)₂))₂(μ-S)] when the sulfoxides methylphenylsulfoxide and dimethylsulfoxide are used respectively.     

Single‐Scan Multidimensional NMR Analysis of Mixtures at Sub‐Millimolar Concentrations by using SABRE Hyperpolarization

Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is a promising method to increase the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. However, SABRE‐enhanced ¹H NMR signals are short lived, and SABRE is often used to record 1D NMR spectra only. When the sample of interest is a complex mixture, this results in severe overlaps for ¹H spectra. In addition, the use of a co‐substrate, whose signals may obscure the ¹H spectra, is currently the most efficient way to lower the detection limit of SABRE experiments. Here, we describe an approach to obtain clean, SABRE‐hyperpolarized 2D ¹H NMR spectra of mixtures of small molecules at sub‐millimolar concentrations in a single scan. The method relies on the use of para‐hydrogen together with a deuterated co‐substrate for hyperpolarization and ultrafast 2D NMR for acquisition. It is applicable to all substrates that can be polarized with SABRE.     

A Facile Microwave‐Assisted “One‐Pot” Synthesis of Piperazino Pyrimidinyl Acetamides,a Class of Hybrid Bis Heterocycles and Their Structural Elucidation Using NMR Spectral Techniques

An array of novel piperazino pyrimidinyl acetamides, a class of hybrid bis heterocycles are synthesized in “one‐pot” by microwave irradiation method catalyzed by heterogeneous NaHSO₄.SiO₂ catalyst in dry media and are characterized by melting point, elemental analysis, MS, FT‐IR, one‐dimensional NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and two‐dimensional ¹H‐¹H COSY and ¹H‐¹³C HSQC spectral data.     

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 ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N 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.     

C−H Functionalization—Prediction of Selectivity in Iridium(I)‐Catalyzed Hydrogen Isotope Exchange Competition Reactions

An assessment of the C?H activation catalyst [(COD)Ir(IMes)(PPh₃)]PF₆ (COD=1,5‐cyclooctadiene, IMes=1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) in the deuteration of phenyl rings containing different functional directing groups is divulged. Competition experiments have revealed a clear order of the directing groups in the hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE) with an iridium (I) catalyst. Through DFT calculations the iridium–substrate coordination complex has been identified to be the main trigger for reactivity and selectivity in the competition situation with two or more directing groups. We postulate that the competition concept found in this HIE reaction can be used to explain regioselectivities in other transition‐metal‐catalyzed functionalization reactions of complex drug‐type molecules as long as a C?H activation mechanism is involved.     

Microstructure of Highly Syndiotactic “Living” Poly(propylene)s Produced from a Titanium Complex with Chelating Fluorine‐Containing Phenoxyimine Ligands (an FI Catalyst)

Highly syndiotactic “living” poly(propylene)s were synthesized at 25°C using a bis[N‐(3‐tert‐butylsalicylidene)‐2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluoroanilinato]titanium (IV) dichloride/MAO catalyst system, and microstructures of the polymer were analyzed by means of ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The syndiotactic poly(propylene) contains isobutyl, isopentyl and propyl end groups, suggesting that the living polymerization of propylene was initiated via 1,2‐insertion, followed by 2,1‐insertion as the principal mode of polymerization. Pentad distribution analysis revealed that the syndiospecific polymerization proceeds under chain‐end control.