Moreno, K.X., et al., Nuclear spin hyperpolarization of the solvent using signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE). J Magn Reson, 2015. 257: p. 15-23.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26037136
Here we report the polarization of the solvent OH protons by SABRE using standard iridium-based catalysts under slightly acidic conditions. Solvent polarization was observed in the presence of a variety of structurally similar N-donor substrates while no solvent enhancement was observed in the absence of substrate or para-hydrogen (p-H2). Solvent polarization was sensitive to the polarizing field and catalyst:substrate ratio in a manner similar to that of substrate protons. SABRE experiments with pyridine-d5 suggest a mechanism where hyperpolarization is transferred from the free substrate to the solvent by chemical exchange while measured hyperpolarization decay times suggest a complimentary mechanism which occurs by direct coordination of the solvent to the catalytic complex. We found the solvent hyperpolarization to decay nearly 3 times more slowly than its characteristic spin-lattice relaxation time suggesting that the hyperpolarized state of the solvent may be sufficiently long lived ( approximately 20s) to hyperpolarize biomolecules having exchangeable protons. This route may offer future opportunities for SABRE to impact metabolic imaging.