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Here we report on chelating ligands for Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) catalysts that permit hyperpolarisation on otherwise sterically hindered substrates. We demonstrate 1 H enhancements of ∼100-fold over 8.5 T thermal for 2-substituted pyridines, and smaller, yet significant enhancements for provitamin B 6 and caffeine. We also show 15 N-enhancements of ∼1000-fold and 19 F-enhancements of 30-fold. 

An in‐depth theoretical analysis of key chemical equilibria in Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) is provided, employing density functional theory calculations to characterize the likely reaction network. For all reactions in the network, the potential energy surface is probed to identify minimum energy pathways. Energy barriers and transition states are calculated, and harmonic transition state theory is applied to calculate exchange rates that approximate experimental values. The reaction network energy surface can be modulated by chemical potentials that account for the dependence on concentration, temperature, and partial pressure of molecular constituents (hydrogen, methanol, pyridine) supplied to the experiment under equilibrium conditions. We show that, under typical experimental conditions, the Gibbs free energies of the two key states involved in pyridine‐hydrogen exchange at the common Ir‐IMes catalyst system in methanol are essentially the same, i. e., nearly optimal for SABRE. We also show that a methanol‐containing intermediate is plausible as a transient species in the process.