Enhancing 19 F Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy by Combining para -Hydrogen Hyperpolarization and Multiplet Refocusing.

Benchtop NMR spectrometers provide a promising alternative to high-field NMR for applications that are limited by instrument size and/or cost. F benchtop NMR is attractive due to the larger chemical shift range of F relative to H and the lack of background signal in most applications. However, practical applications of benchtop F NMR are limited by its low sensitivity due to the relatively weak field strengths of benchtop NMR spectrometers. Here we present a sensitivity-enhancement strategy that combines SABRE (Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange) hyperpolarization with the multiplet refocusing method SHARPER (Sensitive, Homogeneous, And Resolved PEaks in Real time). When applied to a range of fluoropyridines, SABRE-SHARPER achieves overall signal enhancements of up to 5700-fold through the combined effects of hyperpolarization and line-narrowing. This approach can be generalized to the analysis of mixtures through the use of a selective variant of the SHARPER sequence, SHARPER. The ability of SABRE-SHARPER to simultaneously boost sensitivity and discriminate between two components of a mixture is demonstrated, where selectivity is achieved through a combination of selective excitation and the choice of polarization transfer field during the SABRE step.