Hyperpolarized NMR Reaction Monitoring

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is arguably the most important spectroscopic tool for structural information available to the chemist. However, compared to competing methods, it suffers from low sensitivity. An exciting solution to this issue of sensitivity is hyperpolarization, which has been used to increase signal intensities in NMR and MRI experiments by more than 4 orders of magnitude, enabling new applications across the sciences.

The primary focus of the studentship will be on the use of hyperpolarization to enable profiling and monitoring of reactions outside the scope of conventional NMR spectroscopy by enhancing the signals of chemical species. We will optimize and apply chemical- and NMR based-approaches to hyperpolarize a variety of molecular sensors for use in reaction monitoring.

The student is based in the NMR Methodology Group at the University of Manchester's Department of Chemistry (https://nmr.chemistry.manchester.ac.uk). In addition to developing and optimizing new hyperpolarization catalysts for SABRE and PHIP the student will gain experience in reaction monitoring and profiling, a variety of synthetic techniques, and the design and implementation of NMR experiments.

This project fits within the EPSRC themes of Physical Sciences, Healthcare Technologies, and Manufacturing the Future.