Electron Decoupling with Dynamic Nuclear Polarization in Rotating Solids

Frequency-Chirped Magic Angle Spinning Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Combined with Electron Decoupling

Magic angle spinning (MAS) dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) increases the signal intensity of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. DNP typically uses continuous wave (CW) microwave irradiation close to the resonance frequency of unpaired electron spins. In this study, we demonstrate that frequency-chirped microwaves improve DNP performance under MAS. By modulating the gyrotron anode potential, we generate a train of microwave chirps with a maximum bandwidth of 310 MHz and a maximum incident power on the spinning sample of 18 W. We characterize the efficiency of chirped DNP using the following polarizing agents: TEMTriPol-1, AsymPolPOK, AMUPol, and Finland trityl. The effects of different chirp widths and periods are analyzed at different MAS frequencies and microwave powers. Furthermore, we show that chirped DNP can be combined with electron decoupling to improve signal intensity by 59%, compared to CW DNP without electron decoupling, using Finland trityl as a polarizing agent.

Unveiling Highly Sensitive Active Site in Atomically Dispersed Gold Catalysts for Enhanced Ethanol Dehydrogenation

Developing a desirable ethanol dehydrogenation process necessitates a highly efficient and selective catalyst with low cost. Herein, we show that the "complex active site" consisting of atomically dispersed Au atoms with the neighboring oxygen vacancies (Vo) and undercoordinated cation on oxide supports can be prepared and display unique catalytic properties for ethanol dehydrogenation. The "complex active site" Au-Vo-Zr3+ on Au1/ZrO2 exhibits the highest H2 production rate, with above 37,964 mol H2 per mol Au per hour (385 g H2 g Au - 1 ${{\rm{g}}_{{\rm{Au}}}^{ - 1} }$  h-1) at 350 °C, which is 3.32, 2.94 and 15.0 times higher than Au1/CeO2, Au1/TiO2, and Au1/Al2O3, respectively. Combining experimental and theoretical studies, we demonstrate the structural sensitivity of these complex sites by assessing their selectivity and activity in ethanol dehydrogenation. Our study sheds new light on the design and development of cost-effective and highly efficient catalysts for ethanol dehydrogenation. Fundamentally, atomic-level catalyst design by colocalizing catalytically active metal atoms forming a structure-sensitive "complex site", is a crucial way to advance from heterogeneous catalysis to molecular catalysis. Our study advanced the understanding of the structure sensitivity of the active site in atomically dispersed catalysts.

Relaxation enhancement by microwave irradiation may limit dynamic nuclear polarization

Dynamic nuclear polarization enables the hyperpolarization of nuclear spins beyond the thermal-equilibrium Boltzmann distribution. However, it is often unclear why the experimentally measured hyperpolarization is below the theoretically achievable maximum polarization. We report a (near-) resonant relaxation enhancement by microwave (MW) irradiation, leading to a significant increase in the nuclear polarization decay compared to measurements without MW irradiation. For example, the increased nuclear relaxation limits the achievable polarization levels to around 35% instead of hypothetical 60%, measured in the DNP material TEMPO in 1H glassy matrices at 3.3 K and 7 T. Applying rate-equation models to published build-up and decay data indicates that such relaxation enhancement is a common issue in many samples when using different radicals at low sample temperatures and high Boltzmann polarizations of the electrons. Accordingly, quantification and a better understanding of the relaxation processes under MW irradiation might help to design samples and processes towards achieving higher nuclear hyperpolarization levels.

Watch-sized 12 Tesla all-high-temperature-superconducting magnet

We demonstrate the construction of 7 Tesla and 12 Tesla all high-temperature-superconducting (HTS) magnets, small enough to fit on your wrist. The size of the magnet reduces the cost of fabrication, decreases the fringe field to permit facile siting of magnets, and decreases the stored energy of high field magnets. These small HTS-based magnets are being developed for gyrotron microwave sources for use in high-field nuclear magnetic resonance applications. The 7 Tesla and 12 Tesla magnets employ a no-insulation winding technique and are cooled to 4.2 Kelvin in a liquid helium cryostat. The 7 Tesla magnet is a single pancake coil, made of only 9.4 m of HTS tape, with an inner diameter of 8 mm and an outer diameter of 24 mm. This magnet was charged up to 1168 Amperes, generating a field of 7.3 Tesla. The 12 Tesla magnet is comprised of two pancake coils (inner diameter of 10 mm and outer diameter of 27 mm) connected in series. This magnet reached its maximum field at a current of 850 Amperes.

Electron Induced Nanoscale Nuclear Spin Relaxation Probed by Hyperpolarization Injection

We report on experiments that quantify the role of a central electronic spin as a relaxation source for nuclear spins in its nanoscale environment. Our strategy exploits hyperpolarization injection from the electron as a means to controllably probe an increasing number of nuclear spins in the bath and subsequently interrogate them with high fidelity. Our experiments are focused on a model system of a nitrogen vacancy center electronic spin surrounded by several hundred ^{13}C nuclear spins. We observe that the ^{13}C transverse spin relaxation times vary significantly with the extent of hyperpolarization injection, allowing the ability to measure the influence of electron-mediated relaxation extending over several nanometers. These results suggest interesting new means to spatially discriminate nuclear spins in a nanoscale environment and have direct relevance to dynamic nuclear polarization and quantum sensors and memories constructed from hyperpolarized nuclei.

Polarizing agents for efficient high field DNP solid-state NMR spectroscopy under magic-angle spinning: from design principles to formulation strategies

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) has recently emerged as a cornerstone approach to enhance the sensitivity of solid-state NMR spectroscopy under Magic Angle Spinning (MAS), opening unprecedented analytical opportunities in chemistry and biology. DNP relies on a polarization transfer from unpaired electrons (present in endogenous or exogenous polarizing agents) to nearby nuclei. Developing and designing new polarizing sources for DNP solid-state NMR spectroscopy is currently an extremely active research field per se, that has recently led to significant breakthroughs and key achievements, in particular at high magnetic fields. This review describes recent developments in this area, highlighting key design principles that have been established over time and led to the introduction of increasingly more efficient polarizing sources. After a short introduction, Section 2 presents a brief history of solid-state DNP, highlighting the main polarization transfer schemes. The third section is devoted to the development of dinitroxide radicals, discussing the guidelines that were progressively established to design the fine-tuned molecular structures in use today. In Section 4, we describe recent efforts in developing hybrid radicals composed of a narrow EPR line radical covalently linked to a nitroxide, highlighting the parameters that modulate the DNP efficiency of these mixed structures. Section 5 reviews recent advances in the design of metal complexes suitable for DNP MAS NMR as exogenous electron sources. In parallel, current strategies that exploit metal ions as endogenous polarization sources are discussed. Section 6 briefly describes the recent introduction of mixed-valence radicals. In the last part, experimental aspects regarding sample formulation are reviewed to make best use of these polarizing agents in a broad panel of application fields.

Electron-decoupled MAS DNP with N@C60

Frequency-chirped microwaves decouple electron- and ¹³C-spins in magic-angle spinning N@C₆₀:C₆₀ powder, improving DNP-enhanced ¹³C NMR signal intensity by 12% for 7 s polarization, and 5% for 30 s polarization. This electron decoupling demonstration is a step toward utilizing N@C₆₀ as a controllable electron-spin source for magic-angle spinning magnetic resonance experiments.

Spin Hyperpolarization in Modern Magnetic Resonance

Magnetic resonance techniques are successfully utilized in a broad range of scientific disciplines and in various practical applications, with medical magnetic resonance imaging being the most widely known example. Currently, both fundamental and applied magnetic resonance are enjoying a major boost owing to the rapidly developing field of spin hyperpolarization. Hyperpolarization techniques are able to enhance signal intensities in magnetic resonance by several orders of magnitude, and thus to largely overcome its major disadvantage of relatively low sensitivity. This provides new impetus for existing applications of magnetic resonance and opens the gates to exciting new possibilities. In this review, we provide a unified picture of the many methods and techniques that fall under the umbrella term "hyperpolarization" but are currently seldom perceived as integral parts of the same field. Specifically, before delving into the individual techniques, we provide a detailed analysis of the underlying principles of spin hyperpolarization. We attempt to uncover and classify the origins of hyperpolarization, to establish its sources and the specific mechanisms that enable the flow of polarization from a source to the target spins. We then give a more detailed analysis of individual hyperpolarization techniques: the mechanisms by which they work, fundamental and technical requirements, characteristic applications, unresolved issues, and possible future directions. We are seeing a continuous growth of activity in the field of spin hyperpolarization, and we expect the field to flourish as new and improved hyperpolarization techniques are implemented. Some key areas for development are in prolonging polarization lifetimes, making hyperpolarization techniques more generally applicable to chemical/biological systems, reducing the technical and equipment requirements, and creating more efficient excitation and detection schemes. We hope this review will facilitate the sharing of knowledge between subfields within the broad topic of hyperpolarization, to help overcome existing challenges in magnetic resonance and enable novel applications.

Observing Nearby Nuclei on Paramagnetic Trityls and MOFs via DNP and Electron Decoupling

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is an NMR sensitivity enhancement technique that mediates polarization transfer from unpaired electrons to NMR-active nuclei. Despite its success in elucidating important structural information on biological and inorganic materials, the detailed polarization-transfer pathway from the electrons to the nearby and then the bulk solvent nuclei, and finally to the molecules of interest-remains unclear. In particular, the nuclei in the paramagnetic polarizing agent play significant roles in relaying the enhanced NMR polarizations to more remote nuclei. Despite their importance, the direct NMR observation of these nuclei is challenging because of poor sensitivity. Here, we show that a combined DNP and electron decoupling approach can facilitate direct NMR detection of these nuclei. We achieved an ∼80 % improvement in NMR intensity via electron decoupling at 0.35 T and 80 K on trityl radicals. Moreover, we recorded a DNP enhancement factor of ϵ ${\varepsilon{} }$ ∼90 and ∼11 % higher NMR intensity using electron decoupling on paramagnetic metal-organic framework, magnesium hexaoxytriphenylene (MgHOTP MOF).

Integrated, Stretched, and Adiabatic Solid Effects

This paper presents a theory describing the dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) process associated with an arbitrary frequency swept microwave pulse. The theory is utilized to explain the integrated solid effect (ISE) as well as the newly discovered stretched solid effect (SSE) and adiabatic solid effect (ASE). It is verified with experiments performed at 9.4 GHz (0.34 T) on single crystals of naphthalene doped with pentacene-d₁₄. It is shown that the SSE and ASE can be more efficient than the ISE. Furthermore, the theory predicts that the efficiency of the SSE improves at high magnetic fields, where the EPR line width is small compared to the nuclear Larmor frequency. In addition, we show that the ISE, SSE, and ASE are based on similar physical principles and we suggest definitions to distinguish among them.

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization for Sensitivity Enhancement in Biomolecular Solid-State NMR

Solid-state NMR with magic-angle spinning (MAS) is an important method in structural biology. While NMR can provide invaluable information about local geometry on an atomic scale even for large biomolecular assemblies lacking long-range order, it is often limited by low sensitivity due to small nuclear spin polarization in thermal equilibrium. Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has evolved during the last decades to become a powerful method capable of increasing this sensitivity by two to three orders of magnitude, thereby reducing the valuable experimental time from weeks or months to just hours or days; in many cases, this allows experiments that would be otherwise completely unfeasible. In this review, we give an overview of the developments that have opened the field for DNP-enhanced biomolecular solid-state NMR including state-of-the-art applications at fast MAS and high magnetic field. We present DNP mechanisms, polarizing agents, and sample constitution methods suitable for biomolecules. A wide field of biomolecular NMR applications is covered including membrane proteins, amyloid fibrils, large biomolecular assemblies, and biomaterials. Finally, we present perspectives and recent developments that may shape the field of biomolecular DNP in the future.

Characterization of photonic band resonators for DNP NMR of thin film samples at 7 T magnetic field

Polarization of nuclear spins via Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) relies on generating sufficiently high mm-wave B_1e fields over the sample, which could be achieved by developing suitable resonance structures. Recently, we have introduced one-dimensional photonic band gap (1D PBG) resonators for DNP and reported on prototype devices operating at ca. 200 GHz electron resonance frequency. Here we systematically compare the performance of five (5) PBG resonators constructed from various alternating dielectric layers by monitoring the DNP effect on natural-abundance ¹³C spins in synthetic diamond microparticles embedded into a commercial polyester-based lapping film of just 3 mil (76 μm) thickness. An odd-numbered configuration of dielectric layers for 1D PBG resonator was introduced to achieve further B_1e enhancements. Among the PBG configurations tested, combinations of high-ε perovskite LiTaO₃ together with AlN as well as AlN with optical quartz wafers have resulted in ca. 40 to over 50- fold gains in the average mm-wave power over the sample vs. the mirror-only configuration. The results are rationalized in terms of the electromagnetic energy distribution inside the resonators obtained analytically and from COMSOL simulations. It was found that average of B_1e² over the sample strongly depends on the arrangement of the dielectric layers that are the closest to the sample, which favors odd-numbered PBG resonator configurations for their use in DNP.

Site-specific dynamic nuclear polarization in a Gd(III)-labeled protein

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) of a biomolecule tagged with a polarizing agent has the potential to not only increase NMR sensitivity but also to provide specificity towards the tagging site. Although the general concept has been often discussed, the observation of true site-specific DNP and its dependence on the electron-nuclear distance has been elusive. Here, we demonstrate site-specific DNP in a uniformly isotope-labeled ubiquitin. By recombinant expression of three different ubiquitin point mutants (F4C, A28C, and G75C) post-translationally modified with a Gd3+-chelator tag, localized metal-ion DNP of 13C and 15N is investigated. Effects counteracting the site-specificity of DNP such as nuclear spin-lattice relaxation and proton-driven spin diffusion have been attenuated by perdeuteration of the protein. Particularly for 15N, large DNP enhancement factors on the order of 100 and above as well as localized effects within side-chain resonances differently distributed over the protein are observed. By analyzing the experimental DNP built-up dynamics combined with structural modeling of Gd3+-tags in ubiquitin supported by paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) in solution, we provide, for the first time, quantitative information on the distance dependence of the initial DNP transfer. We show that the direct 15N DNP transfer rate indeed linearly depends on the square of the hyperfine interaction between the electron and the nucleus following Fermi's golden rule, however, below a certain distance cutoff paramagnetic signal bleaching may dramatically skew the correlation.

Dynamic nuclear polarization and ESR hole burning in As doped silicon

We present an experimental study of the Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) of ²⁹Si nuclei in silicon crystals of natural abundance doped with As in the temperature range 0.1-1 K and in a strong magnetic field of 4.6 T. This ensures a very high degree of electron spin polarization, extremely slow nuclear relaxation and optimal conditions for realization of Overhauser and resolved solid effects. We found that the solid effect DNP leads to the appearance of a pattern of holes and peaks in the ESR line, separated by the super-hyperfine interaction between the donor electron and ²⁹Si nuclei closest to the donor. On the contrary, the Overhauser effect DNP mainly affects the remote ²⁹Si nuclei having the weakest interaction with the donor electron. This leads to the appearance of a very narrow (≈3 mG wide) hole in the ESR line. We studied relaxation of the holes after burning, which is caused by the nuclear spin diffusion. Analyzing the dynamics of the hole in the spectrum with a simple one-dimensional diffusion model leads to a value of the diffusion coefficient D = 8(3) × 10^-9 G² s^-1. Our data indicate that the spin diffusion is not completely prevented even in the frozen core near the donors. The emergence of the narrow hole after the Overhauser DNP may be explained by a partial "softening" of the frozen core caused by decoupling of the donor electron and remote ²⁹Si nuclei.

CCMRD: a solid-state NMR database for complex carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential to various life activities in living organisms and serve as the central component in many biomaterials. As an emerging technique with steadily improving resolution, solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has the unique capability in revealing the polymorphic structure and heterogeneous dynamics of insoluble complex carbohydrates. Here, we report the first solid-state NMR database for complex carbohydrates, Complex Carbohydrates Magnetic Resonance Database (CCMRD). This database currently holds the chemical shift information of more than four hundred solid-state NMR compounds and expects rapid expansion. CCMRD provides open portals for data deposition and supports search options based on NMR chemical shifts, carbohydrate names, and compound classes. With the timely implementation, this platform will facilitate spectral analysis and structure determination of carbohydrates and promote software development to benefit the research community. The database is freely accessible at www.ccmrd.org.

Characterization of frequency-chirped dynamic nuclear polarization in rotating solids

Continuous wave (CW) dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is used with magic angle spinning (MAS) to enhance the typically poor sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) by orders of magnitude. In a recent publication we show that further enhancement is obtained by using a frequency-agile gyrotron to chirp incident microwave frequency through the electron resonance frequency during DNP transfer. Here we characterize the effect of chirped MAS DNP by investigating the sweep time, sweep width, center-frequency, and electron Rabi frequency of the chirps. We show the advantages of chirped DNP with a trityl-nitroxide biradical, and a lack of improvement with chirped DNP using AMUPol, a nitroxide biradical. Frequency-chirped DNP on a model system of urea in a cryoprotecting matrix yields an enhancement of 142, 21% greater than that obtained with CW DNP. We then go beyond this model system and apply chirped DNP to intact human cells. In human Jurkat cells, frequency-chirped DNP improves enhancement by 24% over CW DNP. The characterization of the chirped DNP effect reveals instrument limitations on sweep time and sweep width, promising even greater increases in sensitivity with further technology development. These improvements in gyrotron technology, frequency-agile methods, and in-cell applications are expected to play a significant role in the advancement of MAS DNP.

High-Field Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is one of the most prominent methods of sensitivity enhancement in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Even though solid-state DNP under magic-angle spinning (MAS) has left the proof-of-concept phase and has become an important tool for structural investigations of biomolecules as well as materials, it is still far from mainstream applicability because of the potentially overwhelming combination of unique instrumentation, complex sample preparation, and a multitude of different mechanisms and methods available. In this review, I introduce the diverse field and history of DNP, combining aspects of NMR and electron paramagnetic resonance. I then explain the general concepts and detailed mechanisms relevant at high magnetic field, including solution-state methods based on Overhauser DNP but with a greater focus on the more established MAS DNP methods. Finally, I review practical considerations and fields of application and discuss future developments.

Pulse-Shaped Dynamic Nuclear Polarization under Magic-Angle Spinning

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) under magic-angle spinning (MAS) is transforming the scope of solid-state NMR by enormous signal amplification through transfer of polarization from electron spins to nuclear spins. Contemporary MAS-DNP exclusively relies on monochromatic continuous-wave (CW) irradiation of the electron spin resonance. This limits control on electron spin dynamics, which renders the DNP process inefficient, especially at higher magnetic fields and non cryogenic temperatures. Pulse-shaped microwave irradiation of the electron spins is predicted to overcome these challenges but hitherto has never been implemented under MAS. Here, we debut pulse-shaped microwave irradiation using arbitrary-waveform generation (AWG) which allows controlled recruitment of a greater number of electron spins per unit time, favorable for MAS-DNP. Experiments and quantum mechanical simulations demonstrate that pulse-shaped DNP is superior to CW-DNP for mixed radical system, especially when the electron spin resonance is heterogeneously broadened and/or when its spin-lattice relaxation is fast compared to the MAS rotor period, opening new prospects for MAS-DNP.

Perspectives on microwave coupling into cylindrical and spherical rotors with dielectric lenses for magic angle spinning dynamic nuclear polarization

Continuous wave dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) increases the sensitivity of NMR, yet intense microwave fields are required to transition magic angle spinning (MAS) DNP to the time domain. Here we describe and analyze Teflon lenses for cylindrical and spherical MAS rotors that focus microwave power and increase the electron Rabi frequency, ν_1s. Using a commercial simulation package, we solve the Maxwell equations and determine the propagation and focusing of millimeter waves (198 GHz). We then calculate the microwave intensity in a time-independent fashion to compute the ν_1s. With a nominal microwave power input of 5 W, the average ν_1s is 0.38 MHz within a 22 μL sample volume in a 3.2 mm outer diameter (OD) cylindrical rotor without a Teflon lens. Decreasing the sample volume to 3 μL and focusing the microwave beam with a Teflon lens increases the ν_1s to 1.5 MHz. Microwave polarization and intensity perturbations associated with diffraction through the radiofrequency coil, losses from penetration through the rotor wall, and mechanical limitations of the separation between the lens and sample are significant challenges to improving microwave coupling in MAS DNP instrumentation. To overcome these issues, we introduce a novel focusing strategy using dielectric microwave lenses installed within spinning rotors. One such 9.5 mm OD cylindrical rotor assembly implements a Teflon focusing lens to increase the ν_1s to 2.7 MHz within a 2 μL sample. Further, to access high spinning frequencies while also increasing ν_1s, we analyze microwave coupling into MAS spheres. For 9.5 mm OD spherical rotors, we compute a ν_1s of 0.36 MHz within a sample volume of 161 μL, and 2.5 MHz within a 3 μL sample placed at the focal point of a novel double lens insert. We conclude with an analysis and discussion of sub-millimeter diamond spherical rotors for time domain DNP at spinning frequencies >100 kHz. Sub-millimeter spherical rotors better overlap a tightly focused microwave beam, resulting in a ν_1s of 2.2 MHz. Lastly, we propose that sub-millimeter dielectric spherical microwave resonators will provide a means to substantially improve electron spin control in the future.

Frequency-chirped dynamic nuclear polarization with magic angle spinning using a frequency-agile gyrotron

We demonstrate that frequency-chirped dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) with magic angle spinning (MAS) improves the enhancement of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal beyond that of continuous-wave (CW) DNP. Using a custom, frequency-agile gyrotron we implemented frequency-chirped DNP using the TEMTriPol-1 biradical, with MAS NMR at 7 T. Frequency-chirped microwaves yielded a DNP enhancement of 137, an increase of 19% compared to 115 recorded with CW. The chirps were 120 MHz-wide and centered over the trityl resonance, with 7 W microwave power incident on the sample (estimated 0.4 MHz electron spin Rabi frequency). We describe in detail the design and fabrication of the frequency-agile gyrotron used for frequency-chirped MAS DNP. Improvements to the interaction cavity and internal mode converter yielded efficient microwave generation and mode conversion, achieving >10 W output power over a 335 MHz bandwidth with >110 W peak power. Frequency-chirped DNP with MAS is expected to have a significant impact on the future of magnetic resonance.

Fast electron paramagnetic resonance magic angle spinning simulations using analytical powder averaging techniques

Simulations describing the spin physics underpinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy play an important role in the design of new experiments. When experiments are performed in the solid state, samples are commonly composed of powders or glasses, with molecules oriented at a large number of angles with respect to the laboratory frame. These powder angles must be represented in simulations to account for anisotropic interactions. Numerical techniques are typically used to accurately compute such powder averages. A large number of Euler angles are usually required, leading to lengthy simulation times. This is particularly true in broad spectra, such as those observed in EPR. The combination of the traditionally separate techniques of EPR and magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR could play an important role in future electron detected experiments, combined with dynamic nuclear polarization, which will allow for exceptional detection sensitivity of NMR spin coherences. Here, we present a method of reducing the required number of Euler angles in magnetic resonance simulations by analytically performing the powder average over one of the Euler angles in the static and MAS cases for the TEMPO nitroxide radical in a 7 T field. In the static case, this leads to a 97.5% reduction in simulation time over the fully numerical case and reproduces the expected spinning sideband manifold when simulated with a MAS frequency of 150 kHz. This technique is applicable to more traditional NMR experiments as well, such as those involving quadrupolar nuclei or multiple dimensions.

Recent developments in MAS DNP-NMR of materials

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is a powerful technique for the characterization of the atomic-level structure and dynamics of materials. Nevertheless, the use of this technique is often limited by its lack of sensitivity, which can prevent the observation of surfaces, defects or insensitive isotopes. Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) has been shown to improve by one to three orders of magnitude the sensitivity of NMR experiments on materials under Magic-Angle Spinning (MAS), at static magnetic field B₀ ≥ 5 T, conditions allowing for the acquisition of high-resolution spectra. The field of DNP-NMR spectroscopy of materials has undergone a rapid development in the last ten years, spurred notably by the availability of commercial DNP-NMR systems. We provide here an in-depth overview of MAS DNP-NMR studies of materials at high B₀ field. After a historical perspective of DNP of materials, we describe the DNP transfers under MAS, the transport of polarization by spin diffusion and the various contributions to the overall sensitivity of DNP-NMR experiments. We discuss the design of tailored polarizing agents and the sample preparation in the case of materials. We present the DNP-NMR hardware and the influence of key experimental parameters, such as microwave power, magnetic field, temperature and MAS frequency. We give an overview of the isotopes that have been detected by this technique, and the NMR methods that have been combined with DNP. Finally, we show how MAS DNP-NMR has been applied to gain new insights into the structure of organic, hybrid and inorganic materials with applications in fields, such as health, energy, catalysis, optoelectronics etc.

Sensitivity analysis of magic angle spinning dynamic nuclear polarization below 6 K

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) improves signal-to-noise in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Signal-to-noise in NMR can be further improved with cryogenic sample cooling. Whereas MAS DNP is commonly performed between 25 and 110 K, sample temperatures below 6 K lead to further improvements in sensitivity. Here, we demonstrate that solid effect MAS DNP experiments at 6 K, using trityl, yield 3.2× more sensitivity compared to 90 K. Trityl with solid effect DNP at 6 K yields substantially more signal to noise than biradicals and cross effect DNP. We also characterize cross effect DNP with AMUPol and TEMTriPol-1 biradicals for DNP magic angle spinning at temperatures below 6 K and 7 Tesla. DNP enhancements determined from microwave on/off intensities are 253 from AMUPol and 49 from TEMTriPol-1. The higher thermal Boltzmann polarization at 6 K compared to 298 K, combined with these enhancements, should result in 10,000× signal gain for AMUPol and 2000× gain for TEMTriPol-1. However, we show that AMUPol reduces signal in the absence of microwaves by 90% compared to 41% by TEMTriPol-1 at 7 Tesla as the result of depolarization and other detrimental paramagnetic effects. AMUPol still yields the highest signal-to-noise improvement per unit time between the cross effect radicals due to faster polarization buildup (T_1DNP = 4.3 s and 36 s for AMUPol and TEMTriPol-1, respectively). Overall, AMUPol results in 2.5× better sensitivity compared to TEMTriPol-1 in MAS DNP experiments performed below 6 K at 7 T. Trityl provides 6.0× more sensitivity than TEMTriPol-1 and 1.9× more than AMUPol at 6 K, thus yielding the greatest signal-to-noise per unit time among all three radicals. A DNP enhancement profile of TEMTriPol-1 recorded with a frequency-tunable custom-built gyrotron oscillator operating at 198 GHz is also included. It is determined that at 7 T below 6 K a microwave power level of 0.6 W incident on the sample is sufficient to saturate the cross effect mechanism using TEMTriPol-1, yet increasing the power level up to 5 W results in higher improvements in DNP sensitivity with AMUPol. These results indicate MAS DNP below 6 K will play a prominent role in ultra-sensitive NMR spectroscopy in the future.

Four millimeter spherical rotors spinning at 28 kHz with double-saddle coils for cross polarization NMR

Spherical rotors in magic angle spinning (MAS) experiments have significant advantages over traditional cylindrical rotors including simplified spinning implementation, easy sample exchange, more efficient microwave coupling for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and feasibility of downscaling to access higher spinning frequencies. Here, we implement spherical rotors with 4 mm outside diameter (o.d.) and demonstrate spinning >28 kHz using a single aperture for spinning gas. We show a modified stator geometry to improve fiber optic detection, increase NMR filling factor, and improve alignment for sample exchange and microwave irradiation. Higher NMR Rabi frequencies were obtained using smaller radiofrequency (RF) coils on small-diameter spherical rotors, compared to our previous implementation of MAS spheres with an o.d. of 9.5 mm. We report nutation fields of 110 kHz on ¹³C with 820 W of input power and 100 kHz on ¹H with 800 W of input power. Proton decoupling fields of 78 kHz were applied over 20 ms of signal acquisition without any sign of arcing. Compared to our initial demonstration of a split coil for 9.5 mm spheres, this current implementation of a double-saddle coil inductor for 4 mm spheres not only intensifies the RF fields, but also improves RF homogeneity. We achieve an 810°/90° nutation intensity ratio of 0.84 at 300.197 MHz (¹H). We also show electromagnetic simulations predicting a nearly 3-fold improvement in electron Rabi frequency of 0.99 MHz (with 4 mm spheres) compared to 0.38 MHz (with 3.2 mm cylinders), with 5 W of incident microwave power. Further improvements in magnetic resonance spin control are expected as RF inductors and microwave coupling are optimized for spherical rotors and scaled down to the micron scale.

Improved waveguide coupling for 1.3 mm MAS DNP probes at 263 GHz

We consider the geometry of a radially irradiated microwave beam in MAS DNP NMR probes and its impact on DNP enhancement. Two related characteristic features are found to be relevant: (i) the focus of the microwave beam on the DNP MAS sample and (ii) the microwave magnetic field magnitude in the sample. We present a waveguide coupler setup that enables us to significantly improve beam focus and field magnitude in 1.3 mm MAS DNP probes at a microwave frequency of 263 GHz, which results in an increase of the DNP enhancement by a factor of 2 compared to previous standard hardware setups. We discuss the implications of improved coupling and its potential to enable cutting-edge applications, such as pulsed high-field DNP and the use of low-power solid-state microwave sources.

Hyperpolarized MAS NMR of unfolded and misfolded proteins

In this article we give an overview over the use of DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy for the investigation of unfolded, disordered and misfolded proteins. We first provide an overview over studies in which DNP spectroscopy has successfully been applied for the structural investigation of well-folded amyloid fibrils formed by short peptides as well as full-length proteins. Sample cooling to cryogenic temperatures often leads to severe line broadening of resonance signals and thus a loss in resolution. However, inhomogeneous line broadening at low temperatures provides valuable information about residual dynamics and flexibility in proteins, and, in combination with appropriate selective isotope labeling techniques, inhomogeneous linewidths in disordered proteins or protein regions may be exploited for evaluation of conformational ensembles. In the last paragraph we highlight some recent studies where DNP-enhanced MAS-NMR-spectroscopy was applied to the study of disordered proteins/protein regions and inhomogeneous sample preparations.

Cross-Effect Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Explained: Polarization, Depolarization, and Oversaturation

The scope of this Perspective is to analytically describe NMR hyperpolarization by the three-spin cross effect (CE) dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) using an effective Hamiltonian concept. We apply, for the first time, the bimodal operator-based Floquet theory in the Zeeman-interaction frame for two and three coupled spins to derive the known interaction Hamiltonian for CE-DNP. With a unified understanding of CE-DNP, and supported by empirical observation of the state of electron spin polarization under the given experimental conditions, we explain diverse manifestations of CE from oversaturation, enhanced hyperpolarization by broad-band saturation, to nuclear spin depolarization under magic-angle spinning.

Time-optimized pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization

Pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) techniques can accomplish electron-nuclear polarization transfer efficiently with an enhancement factor that is independent of the Zeeman field. However, they often require large Rabi frequencies and, therefore, high-power microwave irradiation. Here, we propose a new low-power DNP sequence for static samples that is composed of a train of microwave pulses of length τ_p spaced with delays d. A particularly robust DNP condition using a period τ_m = τ_p + d set to ~1.25 times the Larmor period τ_Larmor is investigated which is a time-optimized pulsed DNP sequence (TOP-DNP). At 0.35 T, we obtained an enhancement of ~200 using TOP-DNP compared to ~172 with nuclear spin orientation via electron spin locking (NOVEL), a commonly used pulsed DNP sequence, while using only ~7% microwave power required for NOVEL. Experimental data and simulations at higher fields suggest a field-independent enhancement factor, as predicted by the effective Hamiltonian.

Atomic Resolution of Cotton Cellulose Structure Enabled by Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State NMR

The insufficient resolution of conventional methods has long limited the structural elucidation of cellulose and its derivatives, especially for those with relatively low crystallinities or in native cell walls. Recent 2D/3D solid-state NMR studies of ¹³C uniformly labeled plant biomaterials have initiated a re-investigation of our existing knowledge in cellulose structure and its interactions with matrix polymers but for unlabeled materials, this spectroscopic method becomes impractical due to limitations in sensitivity. Here, we investigate the molecular structure of unlabeled cotton cellulose by combining natural abundance ¹³C-¹³C 2D correlation solid-state NMR spectroscopy, as enabled by the sensitivity-enhancing technique of dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), with statistical analysis of the observed and literature-reported chemical shifts. The atomic resolution allows us to monitor the loss of Iα and Iβ allomorphs and the generation of a novel structure during ball-milling, which reveals the importance of large crystallite size for maintaining the Iα and Iβ model structures. Partial order has been identified in the "disordered" domains, as evidenced by a discrete distribution of well-resolved peaks. This study not only provides heretofore unavailable high-resolution insights into cotton cellulose but also presents a widely applicable strategy for analyzing the structure of cellulose-rich materials without isotope-labeling. This work was part of a multi-technique study of ball-milled cotton described in the previous article in the same issue.

A versatile custom cryostat for dynamic nuclear polarization supports multiple cryogenic magic angle spinning transmission line probes

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) with cryogenic magic angle spinning (MAS) provides significant improvements in NMR sensitivity, yet presents unique technical challenges. Here we describe a custom cryostat and suite of NMR probes capable of manipulating nuclear spins with multi-resonant radiofrequency circuits, cryogenic spinning below 6 K, sample exchange, and microwave coupling for DNP. The corrugated waveguide and six transfer lines needed for DNP and cryogenic spinning functionality are coupled to the probe from the top of the magnet. Transfer lines are vacuum-jacketed and provide bearing and drive gas, variable temperature fluid, two exhaust pathways, and a sample ejection port. The cryostat thermally isolates the magnet bore, thereby protecting the magnet and increasing cryogen efficiency. This novel design supports cryogenic MAS-DNP performance over an array of probes without altering DNP functionality. We present three MAS probes (two supporting 3.2 mm rotors and one supporting 9.5 mm rotors) interfacing with the single cryostat. Mechanical details, transmission line radio frequency design, and performance of the cryostat and three probes are described.

Enhanced dynamic nuclear polarization via swept microwave frequency combs

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has enabled enormous gains in magnetic resonance signals and led to vastly accelerated NMR/MRI imaging and spectroscopy. Unlike conventional cw-techniques, DNP methods that exploit the full electron spectrum are appealing since they allow direct participation of all electrons in the hyperpolarization process. Such methods typically entail sweeps of microwave radiation over the broad electron linewidth to excite DNP but are often inefficient because the sweeps, constrained by adiabaticity requirements, are slow. In this paper, we develop a technique to overcome the DNP bottlenecks set by the slow sweeps, using a swept microwave frequency comb that increases the effective number of polarization transfer events while respecting adiabaticity constraints. This allows a multiplicative gain in DNP enhancement, scaling with the number of comb frequencies and limited only by the hyperfine-mediated electron linewidth. We demonstrate the technique for the optical hyperpolarization of ¹³C nuclei in powdered microdiamonds at low fields, increasing the DNP enhancement from 30 to 100 measured with respect to the thermal signal at 7T. For low concentrations of broad linewidth electron radicals [e.g., TEMPO ((2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl)], these multiplicative gains could exceed an order of magnitude.

Electron decoupling with cross polarization and dynamic nuclear polarization below 6 K

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) can improve nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensitivity by orders of magnitude. Polarizing agents containing unpaired electrons required for DNP can broaden nuclear resonances in the presence of appreciable hyperfine couplings. Here we present the first cross polarization experiments implemented with electron decoupling, which attenuates detrimental hyperfine couplings. We also demonstrate magic angle spinning (MAS) DNP experiments below 6 K, producing unprecedented nuclear spin polarization in rotating solids. ¹³C correlation spectra were collected with MAS DNP below 6 K for the first time. Polarization build-up times with MAS DNP (T_{1DNP, 1H}) of urea in a frozen glassy matrix below 6 K were measured for both the solid effect and the cross effect. Trityl radicals exhibit a T_1DNP (¹H) of 18.7 s and the T_1DNP (¹H) of samples doped with 20 mM AMUPol is only 1.3 s. MAS below 6 K with DNP and electron decoupling is an effective strategy to increase NMR signal-to-noise ratios per transient while retaining short polarization periods.

DNP NMR of biomolecular assemblies

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) is an effective approach to alleviate the inherently low sensitivity of solid-state NMR (ssNMR) under magic angle spinning (MAS) towards large-sized multi-domain complexes and assemblies. DNP relies on a polarization transfer at cryogenic temperatures from unpaired electrons to adjacent nuclei upon continuous microwave irradiation. This is usually made possible via the addition in the sample of a polarizing agent. The first pioneering experiments on biomolecular assemblies were reported in the early 2000s on bacteriophages and membrane proteins. Since then, DNP has experienced tremendous advances, with the development of extremely efficient polarizing agents or with the introduction of new microwaves sources, suitable for NMR experiments at very high magnetic fields (currently up to 900 MHz). After a brief introduction, several experimental aspects of DNP enhanced NMR spectroscopy applied to biomolecular assemblies are discussed. Recent demonstration experiments of the method on viral capsids, the type III and IV bacterial secretion systems, ribosome and membrane proteins are then described.

Pulsed Electron Decoupling and Strategies for Time Domain Dynamic Nuclear Polarization with Magic Angle Spinning

Magic angle spinning (MAS) dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is widely used to increase nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal intensity. Frequency-chirped microwaves yield superior control of electron spins and are expected to play a central role in the development of DNP MAS experiments. Time domain electron control with MAS has considerable promise to improve DNP performance at higher fields and temperatures. We have recently demonstrated that pulsed electron decoupling using frequency-chirped microwaves improves MAS DNP experiments by partially attenuating detrimental hyperfine interactions. The continued development of pulsed electron decoupling will enable a new suite of MAS DNP experiments that transfer polarization directly to observed spins. Time domain DNP transfers to nuclear spins in conjunction with pulsed electron decoupling is described as a viable avenue toward DNP-enhanced, high-resolution NMR spectroscopy over a range of temperatures from <6 to 320 K.

Materials Characterization by Dynamic Nuclear Polarization-Enhanced Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

High-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the study of organic and inorganic materials because it can directly probe the symmetry and structure at nuclear sites, the connectivity/bonding of atoms and precisely measure interatomic distances. However, NMR spectroscopy is hampered by intrinsically poor sensitivity; consequently, the application of NMR spectroscopy to many solid materials is often infeasible. High-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has emerged as a technique to routinely enhance the sensitivity of solid-state NMR experiments by 1-3 orders of magnitude. This Perspective gives a general overview of how DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy can be applied to a variety of inorganic and organic materials. DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR experiments provide unique insights into the molecular structure, which makes it possible to form structure-activity relationships that ultimately assist in the rational design and improvement of materials.

Magic angle spinning spheres

Magic angle spinning (MAS) is commonly used in nuclear magnetic resonance of solids to improve spectral resolution. Rather than using cylindrical rotors for MAS, we demonstrate that spherical rotors can be spun stably at the magic angle. Spherical rotors conserve valuable space in the probe head and simplify sample exchange and microwave coupling for dynamic nuclear polarization. In this current implementation of spherical rotors, a single gas stream provides bearing gas to reduce friction, drive propulsion to generate and maintain angular momentum, and variable temperature control for thermostating. Grooves are machined directly into zirconia spheres, thereby converting the rotor body into a robust turbine with high torque. We demonstrate that 9.5-mm-outside diameter spherical rotors can be spun at frequencies up to 4.6 kHz with N₂(g) and 10.6 kHz with He(g). Angular stability of the spinning axis is demonstrated by observation of ⁷⁹Br rotational echoes out to 10 ms from KBr packed within spherical rotors. Spinning frequency stability of ±1 Hz is achieved with resistive heating feedback control. A sample size of 36 μl can be accommodated in 9.5-mm-diameter spheres with a cylindrical hole machined along the spinning axis. We further show that spheres can be more extensively hollowed out to accommodate 161 μl of the sample, which provides superior signal-to-noise ratio compared to traditional 3.2-mm-diameter cylindrical rotors.

Magic angle spinning NMR with metallized rotors as cylindrical microwave resonators

We introduce a novel design for millimeter wave electromagnetic structures within magic angle spinning (MAS) rotors. In this demonstration, a copper coating is vacuum deposited onto the outside surface of a sapphire rotor at a thickness of 50 nm. This thickness is sufficient to reflect 197-GHz microwaves, yet not too thick as to interfere with radiofrequency fields at 300 MHz or prevent sample spinning due to eddy currents. Electromagnetic simulations of an idealized rotor geometry show a microwave quality factor of 148. MAS experiments with sample rotation frequencies of ω_r /2π = 5.4 kHz demonstrate that the drag force due to eddy currents within the copper does not prevent sample spinning. Spectra of sodium acetate show resolved ¹³ C J-couplings of 60 Hz and no appreciable broadening between coated and uncoated sapphire rotors, demonstrating that the copper coating does not prevent shimming and high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, ¹³ C Rabi nutation curves of ω₁ /2π = 103 kHz for both coated and uncoated rotors indicate no detrimental impact of the copper coating on radio frequency coupling of the nuclear spins to the sample coil. We present this metal coated rotor as a first step towards an MAS resonator. MAS resonators are expected to have a significant impact on developments in electron decoupling, pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), room temperature DNP, DNP with low-power microwave sources, and electron paramagnetic resonance detection.

Multi-step phase-cycling in a free-electron laser-powered pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a powerful tool for research in chemistry, biology, physics and materials science, which can benefit significantly from moving to frequencies above 100 GHz. In pulsed EPR spectrometers driven by powerful sub-THz oscillators, such as the free electron laser (FEL)-powered EPR spectrometer at UCSB, control of the duration, power and relative phases of the pulses in a sequence must be performed at the frequency and power level of the oscillator. Here we report on the implementation of an all-quasioptical four-step phase cycling procedure carried out directly at the kW power level of the 240 GHz pulses used in the FEL-powered EPR spectrometer. Phase shifts are introduced by modifying the optical path length of a 240 GHz pulse with precision-machined dielectric plates in a procedure we call phase cycling with optomechanical phase shifters (POPS), while numerical receiver phase cycling is implemented in post-processing. The POPS scheme was successfully used to reduce experimental dead times, enabling pulsed EPR of fast-relaxing spin systems such as gadolinium complexes at temperatures above 190 K. Coherence transfer pathway selection with POPS was used to perform spin echo relaxation experiments to measure the phase memory time of P1 centers in diamond in the presence of a strong unwanted FID signal in the background. The large excitation bandwidth of FEL-EPR, together with phase cycling, enabled the quantitative measurement of instantaneous electron spectral diffusion, from which the P1 center concentration was estimated to within 10%. Finally, phase cycling enabled saturation-recovery measurements of T1 in a trityl-water solution at room temperature - the first FEL-EPR measurement of electron T1.

DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy of active pharmaceutical ingredients

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy has become a valuable tool for the characterization of both pure and formulated active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). However, NMR generally suffers from poor sensitivity that often restricts NMR experiments to nuclei with favorable properties, concentrated samples, and acquisition of one-dimensional (1D) NMR spectra. Here, we review how dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) can be applied to routinely enhance the sensitivity of solid-state NMR experiments by one to two orders of magnitude for both pure and formulated APIs. Sample preparation protocols for relayed DNP experiments and experiments on directly doped APIs are detailed. Numerical spin diffusion models illustrate the dependence of relayed DNP enhancements on the relaxation properties and particle size of the solids and can be used for particle size determination when the other factors are known. We then describe the advanced solid-state NMR experiments that have been enabled by DNP and how they provide unique insight into the molecular and macroscopic structure of APIs. For example, with large sensitivity gains provided by DNP, natural isotopic abundance, ¹³ C-¹³ C double-quantum single-quantum homonuclear correlation NMR spectra of pure APIs can be routinely acquired. DNP also enables solid-state NMR experiments with unreceptive quadrupolar nuclei such as ² H, ¹⁴ N, and ³⁵ Cl that are commonly found in APIs. Applications of DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy for the molecular level characterization of low API load formulations such as commercial tablets and amorphous solid dispersions are described. Future perspectives for DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR experiments on APIs are briefly discussed.

Quantum-rotor-induced polarization

Quantum-rotor-induced polarization is closely related to para-hydrogen-induced polarization. In both cases, the hyperpolarized spin order derives from rotational interaction and the Pauli principle by which the symmetry of the rotational ground state dictates the symmetry of the associated nuclear spin state. In quantum-rotor-induced polarization, there may be several spin states associated with the rotational ground state, and the hyperpolarization is typically generated by hetero-nuclear cross-relaxation. This review discusses preconditions for quantum-rotor-induced polarization for both the 1-dimensional methyl rotor and the asymmetric rotor H₂¹⁷ O@C₆₀ , that is, a single water molecule encapsulated in fullerene C₆₀ . Experimental results are presented for both rotors.

Exploring Applications of Covalent Organic Frameworks: Homogeneous Reticulation of Radicals for Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

Rapid progress has been witnessed in the past decade in the fields of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). In this contribution, we bridge these two fields by constructing radical-embedded COFs as promising DNP agents. Via polarization transfer from unpaired electrons to nuclei, DNP realizes significant enhancement of NMR signal intensities. One of the crucial issues in DNP is to screen for suitable radicals to act as efficient polarizing agents, the basic criteria for which are homogeneous distribution and fixed orientation of unpaired electrons. We therefore envisioned that the crystalline and porous structures of COFs, if evenly embedded with radicals, may work as a new "crystalline sponge" for DNP experiments. As a proof of concept, we constructed a series of proxyl-radical-embedded COFs (denoted as PR( x)-COFs) and successfully applied them to achieve substantial DNP enhancement. Benefiting from the bottom-up and multivariate synthetic strategies, proxyl radicals have been covalently reticulated, homogeneously distributed, and rigidly embedded into the crystalline and mesoporous frameworks with adjustable concentration ( x%). Excellent performance of PR( x)-COFs has been observed for DNP 1H, 13C, and 15N solid-state NMR enhancements. This contribution not only realizes the direct construction of radical COFs from radical monomers, but also explores the new application of COFs as DNP polarizing agents. Given that many radical COFs can therefore be rationally designed and facilely constructed with well-defined composition, distribution, and pore size, we expect that our effort will pave the way for utilizing radical COFs as standard polarizing agents in DNP NMR experiments.

Frequency-agile gyrotron for electron decoupling and pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization

We describe a frequency-agile gyrotron which can generate frequency-chirped microwave pulses. An arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) within the NMR spectrometer controls the microwave frequency, enabling synchronized pulsed control of both electron and nuclear spins. We demonstrate that the acceleration of emitted electrons, and thus the microwave frequency, can be quickly changed by varying the anode voltage. This strategy results in much faster frequency response than can be achieved by changing the potential of the electron emitter, and does not require a custom triode electron gun. The gyrotron frequency can be swept with a rate of 20 MHz/μs over a 670 MHz bandwidth in a static magnetic field. We have already implemented time-domain electron decoupling with dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) magic angle spinning (MAS) with this device. In this contribution, we show frequency-swept DNP enhancement profiles recorded without changing the NMR magnet or probe. The profile of endofullerenes exhibits a DNP profile with a <10 MHz linewidth, indicating that the device also has sufficient frequency stability, and therefore phase stability, to implement pulsed DNP mechanisms such as the frequency-swept solid effect. We describe schematics of the mechanical and vacuum construction of the device which includes a novel flanged sapphire window assembly. Finally, we discuss how commercially available continuous-wave gyrotrons can potentially be converted into similar frequency-agile high-power microwave sources.

Magic angle spinning NMR below 6 K with a computational fluid dynamics analysis of fluid flow and temperature gradients

We report magic angle spinning (MAS) up to 8.5 kHz with a sample temperature below 6 K using liquid helium as a variable temperature fluid. Cross polarization ¹³C NMR spectra exhibit exquisite sensitivity with a single transient. Remarkably, ¹H saturation recovery experiments show a ¹H T₁ of 21 s with MAS below 6 K in the presence of trityl radicals in a glassy matrix. Leveraging the thermal spin polarization available at 4.2 K versus 298 K should result in 71 times higher signal intensity. Taking the ¹H longitudinal relaxation into account, signal averaging times are therefore predicted to be expedited by a factor of >500. Computer assisted design (CAD) and finite element analysis were employed in both the design and diagnostic stages of this cryogenic MAS technology development. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models describing temperature gradients and fluid flow are presented. The CFD models bearing and drive gas maintained at 100 K, while a colder helium variable temperature fluid stream cools the center of a zirconia rotor. Results from the CFD were used to optimize the helium exhaust path and determine the sample temperature. This novel cryogenic experimental platform will be integrated with pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization and electron decoupling to interrogate biomolecular structure within intact human cells.

Dynamic nuclear polarization for sensitivity enhancement in modern solid-state NMR

The field of dynamic nuclear polarization has undergone tremendous developments and diversification since its inception more than 6 decades ago. In this review we provide an in-depth overview of the relevant topics involved in DNP-enhanced MAS NMR spectroscopy. This includes the theoretical description of DNP mechanisms as well as of the polarization transfer pathways that can lead to a uniform or selective spreading of polarization between nuclear spins. Furthermore, we cover historical and state-of-the art aspects of dedicated instrumentation, polarizing agents, and optimization techniques for efficient MAS DNP. Finally, we present an extensive overview on applications in the fields of structural biology and materials science, which underlines that MAS DNP has moved far beyond the proof-of-concept stage and has become an important tool for research in these fields.