Optical hyperpolarization and NMR detection of 129Xe on a microfluidic chip.
Optically hyperpolarized (129)Xe gas has become a powerful contrast agent in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging, with applications ranging from studies of the human lung to the targeted detection of biomolecules. Equally attractive is its potential use to enhance the sensitivity of microfluidic NMR experiments, in which small sample volumes yield poor sensitivity. Unfortunately, most (129)Xe polarization systems are large and non-portable. Here we present a microfabricated chip that optically polarizes (129)Xe gas. We have achieved (129)Xe polarizations >0.5% at flow rates of several microlitres per second, compatible with typical microfluidic applications. We employ in situ optical magnetometry to sensitively detect and characterize the (129)Xe polarization at magnetic fields of 1 μT. We construct the device using standard microfabrication techniques, which will facilitate its integration with existing microfluidic platforms. This device may enable the implementation of highly sensitive (129)Xe NMR in compact, low-cost, portable devices.
1] National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA [2] Department of Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Ricardo
R
Jiménez-Martínez
1] Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720-7300, USA [2] Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Daniel J
DJ
Kennedy
The Jack and Pearl Resnick Institute for Advanced Technology, Department of Physics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan IL-52900, Israel.
Michael
M
Rosenbluh
National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA.
Elizabeth A
EA
Donley
National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA.
Svenja
S
Knappe
1] Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720-7300, USA [2] Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Scott J
SJ
Seltzer
1] Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720-7300, USA [2] Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Hattie L
HL
Ring
1] Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720-7300, USA [2] Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Vikram S
VS
Bajaj
National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA.
John
J
Kitching
D003287:Contrast Media / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014979:Xenon Isotopes / Q000138:chemical synthesis*
D003287:Contrast Media; D014979:Xenon Isotopes