title: Hyperpolarized nanodiamond with long spin-relaxation times.
abstract: The use of hyperpolarized agents in magnetic resonance, such as (13)C-labelled compounds, enables powerful new imaging and detection modalities that stem from a 10,000-fold boost in signal. A major challenge for the future of the hyperpolarization technique is the inherently short spin-relaxation times, typically <60 s for (13)C liquid-state compounds, which limit the time that the signal remains boosted. Here we demonstrate that 1.1% natural abundance (13)C spins in synthetic nanodiamond can be hyperpolarized at cryogenic and room temperature without the use of free radicals, and, owing to their solid-state environment, exhibit relaxation times exceeding 1 h. Combined with the already established applications of nanodiamonds in the life sciences as inexpensive fluorescent markers and non-cytotoxic substrates for gene and drug delivery, these results extend the theranostic capabilities of nanoscale diamonds into the domain of hyperpolarized magnetic resonance.
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rej
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gaebel
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boele
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: David E J
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Waddington
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Reilly