In this work we describe how the signal enhancements obtained through the SABRE process in methanol-d4 solution are significantly affected by pH. Nicotinic acid (vitamin B3, NA) is used as the agent, and changing pH is shown to modify the level of polarisation transfer by over an order of magnitude, with significant improvements being seen in terms of the signal amplitude and relaxation rate at high pH values. These observations reveal that manipulating pH to improve SABRE enhancements levels may improve the potential of this method to quantify low concentrations of analytes in mixtures. 1H NMR spectroscopy results link this change to the form of the SABRE catalyst, which changes with pH, resulting in dramatic changes in the magnitude of the ligand exchange rates. The presented data also uses the fact that the chemical shifts of the nicotinic acids NMR resonances are affected by pH to establish that hyperpolarised 1H-based pH mapping with SABRE is possible. Moreover, the strong polarisation transfer field dependence shown in the amplitudes of the associated higher order longitudinal terms offers significant opportunities for the rapid detection of hyperpolarised NA in H2O itself without solvent suppression. 1H and 13C MRI images of hyperpolarised vitamin B3 in a series of test phantoms are presented that show pH dependent intensity and contrast. This study therefore establishes that when the pH sensitivity of NA is combined with the increase in signal gain provided for by SABRE hyperpolarisation, a versatile pH probe results.

Pd(OTf)2(bcope) is shown to react in methanol solution with diphenylacetylene, carbon monoxide and hydrogen to produce the methoxy-carbonylation product methyl 2,3 diphenyl acrylate alongside cis- and trans-stilbene. In situ NMR studies harnessing the parahydrogen induced polarization effect reveal substantially enhanced 1H NMR signals in both protic and aprotic solvents for a series of reaction intermediates that play a direct role in this homogeneous transformation. Exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) measurements reveal that the corresponding CO adducts are less reactive than their methanol counterparts.

•Observation of evolution of p-H2-derived spin states over a μs-ms timescale.•Analytical model for evolution under both chemical and magnetic inequivalence.•Experimental validation of the model for a range of ruthenium dihydride complexes.•Prediction and observation of polarisation transfer from p-H2 31P.We recently reported a pump-probe method that uses a single laser pulse to introduce parahydrogen (p-H2) into a metal dihydride complex and then follows the time-evolution of the p-H2-derived nuclear spin states by NMR. We present here a theoretical framework to describe the oscillatory behaviour of the resultant hyperpolarised NMR signals using a product operator formalism. We consider the cases where the p-H2-derived protons form part of an AX, AXY, AXYZ or AA′XX′ spin system in the product molecule. We use this framework to predict the patterns for 2D pump-probe NMR spectra, where the indirect dimension represents the evolution during the pump-probe delay and the positions of the cross-peaks depend on the difference in chemical shift of the p-H2-derived protons and the difference in their couplings to other nuclei. The evolution of the NMR signals of the p-H2-derived protons, as well as the transfer of hyperpolarisation to other NMR-active nuclei in the product, is described. The theoretical framework is tested experimentally for a set of ruthenium dihydride complexes representing the different spin systems. Theoretical predictions and experimental results agree to within experimental error for all features of the hyperpolarised 1H and 31P pump-probe NMR spectra. Thus we establish the laser pump, NMR probe approach as a robust way to directly observe and quantitatively analyse the coherent evolution of p-H2-derived spin order over micro-to-millisecond timescales.Download high-res image (174KB)Download full-size image

•SABRE hyperpolarization is achieved at high field by the ADAPT pulse sequence.•A theoretical description of ADAPT-SABRE is linked to related methods for comparison.•ADAPT-SABRE achieves faster magnetization transfer than several analogous approaches.•∼3 orders of magnitude signal enhancement produced in 1.6 s for a 15N target.Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) is an attractive nuclear spin hyperpolarization technique capable of huge sensitivity enhancement in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection. The resonance condition of SABRE hyperpolarization depends on coherent spin mixing, which can be achieved naturally at a low magnetic field. The optimum transfer field to spin-1/2 heteronuclei is technically demanding, as it requires field strengths weaker than the earth’s magnetic field for efficient spin mixing. In this paper, we illustrate an approach to achieve strong 15N SABRE hyperpolarization at high magnetic field by a radio frequency (RF) driven coherent transfer mechanism based on alternate pulsing and delay to achieve polarization transfer. The presented scheme is found to be highly robust and much faster than existing related methods, producing ∼3 orders of magnitude 15N signal enhancement within 2 s of RF pulsing.Download high-res image (141KB)Download full-size image

The creation of magnetic states that have long lifetimes has been the subject of intense investigation, in part because of their potential to survive the time taken to travel from the point of injection in a patient to the point where a clinically diagnostic MRI trace is collected. We show here that it is possible to harness the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process to create such states in a hyperpolarised form that improves their detectability in seconds without the need for any chemical change by reference to the model substrate 2-aminothiazole. We achieve this by transferring Zeeman derived polarisation that is 1500 times larger than that normally available at 400 MHz with greater than 90% efficiency into the new state, which in this case has a 27 second lifetime.

A bidentate iridium carbene complex, Ir(κC,O-L1)(COD), has been synthesised which contains a strongly electron donating carbene ligand that is functionalised by a cis-spanning phenolate group. This complex acts as a precursor to effective magnetisation transfer catalysts which form after reaction with H2 and a suitable two electron donor. In solvents such as benzene, containing pyridine, they are exemplified by neutral, chiral Ir(H)2(κC,O-L1)(py)2 with inequivalent hydride ligands and Ir–O bond retention, whilst in methanol, Ir–O bond cleavage leads to zwitterionic [Ir(H)2(κC,O−-L1)(py)3]+, with chemically equivalent hydride ligands. The active catalyst's form is therefore solvent dependent. Both these complexes break the magnetic symmetry of the hydride ligands and are active in the catalytic transfer of polarisation from parahydrogen to a loosely bound ligand. Test results on pyridine, nicotinaldehyde and nicotine reveal up to ≈1.2% single spin proton polarisation levels in their 1H NMR signals which compare to the normal 0.003% level at 9.4 Tesla. These results exemplify how rational catalyst design yields a solvent dependent catalyst with good SABRE activity.

[IrCl(COE)2]2 (1) reacts with pyridine (py) and H2 to form crystallographically characterized IrCl(H)2(COE)(py)2 (2). 2 undergoes py loss to form 16-electron IrCl(H)2(COE)(py) (3), with equivalent hydride ligands. When this reaction is studied with parahydrogen, 1 efficiently achieves hyperpolarization of free py (and nicotinamide, nicotine, 5-aminopyrimidine, and 3,5-lutudine) via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) and hence reflects a simple and readily available precatayst for this process. 2 reacts further over 48 h at 298 K to form crystallographically characterized (Cl)(H)(py)(μ-Cl)(μ-H)(κ-μ-NC5H4)Ir(H)(py)2 (4). This dimer is active in the hydrogen isotope exchange process that is used in radiopharmaceutical preparations. Furthermore, while [Ir(H)2(COE)(py)3]PF6 (6) forms upon the addition of AgPF6 to 2, its stability precludes its efficient involvement in SABRE.

The reaction of [Ir(IMes)(COD)Cl], [IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene, COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene] with pyridazine (pdz) and phthalazine (phth) results in the formation of [Ir(COD)(IMes)(pdz)]Cl and [Ir(COD)(IMes)(phth)]Cl. These two complexes are shown by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies to undergo a haptotropic shift which interchanges pairs of protons within the bound ligands. When these complexes are exposed to hydrogen, they react to form [Ir(H)2(COD)(IMes)(pdz)]Cl and [Ir(H)2(COD)(IMes)(phth)]Cl, respectively, which ultimately convert to [Ir(H)2(IMes)(pdz)3]Cl and [Ir(H)2(IMes)(phth)3]Cl, as the COD is hydrogenated to form cyclooctane. These two dihydride complexes are shown, by NMR, to undergo both full N-heterocycle dissociation and a haptotropic shift, the rates of which are affected by both steric interactions and free ligand pKa values. The use of these complexes as catalysts in the transfer of polarisation from para-hydrogen to pyridazine and phthalazine via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is explored. The possible future use of drugs which contain pyridazine and phthalazine motifs as in vivo or clinical magnetic resonance imaging probes is demonstrated; a range of NMR and phantom-based MRI measurements are reported.

The catalyst which is used in the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process facilitates substrate hyperpolarisation while acting to speed up the rate of relaxation. Consequently, the lifetime over which the hyperpolarised contrast agent is visible is drastically reduced. We show that the addition of a chelating ligand, such as bipyridine, rapidly deactivates the SABRE catalyst thereby lengthening the agent's relaxation times and improving the potential of SABRE for diagnostic MRI.

The short lived pincer complex [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2(py)]BF4 is shown to be active for signal amplification by reversible exchange. This catalyst formulation enables the efficient transfer of polarization from parahydrogen to be placed into just a single molecule of the hyperpolarisation target, pyridine. When the catalysts 1H nuclei are replaced by 2H, increased levels of substrate hyperpolarization result and when the reverse situation is examined the catalyst itself is clearly visible through hyperpolarised signals. The ligand exchange pathways of [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2(py)]BF4 that are associated with this process are shown to involve the formation of 16-electron [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2]BF4 and the 18-electron H2 addition product [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2(H2)]BF4.

The catalytic hyperpolarisation of pyridine, 3-hydroxypyridine and oxazole by the Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) process is achieved by a series of water soluble iridium phosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene dihydride complexes. While the efficiency of the SABRE process in methanol-d4 solution or ethanol-d6 solution is high, with over 400-fold 1H polarisation of pyridine being produced by [Ir(H)2(NCMe)(py)(IMes)(monosulfonated-triphenylphosphine)]BF4, changing to a D2O or a D2O–ethanol solvent mixture leads to dramatically reduced activity which is rationalised in terms of low H2 solubility.

A novel neutral iridium carbene complex Ir(κC,O-L1)(COD) (1) [where COD = cyclooctadiene and L1 = 3-(2-methylene-4-nitrophenolate)-1-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazolylidene] with a pendant alkoxide ligand has been prepared and characterized. It contains a strong Ir–O bond, and X-ray analysis reveals a distorted square planar structure. NMR spectroscopy reveals dynamic solution-state behavior commensurate with rapid seven-membered ring flipping. In CD2Cl2 solution, under hydrogen at low temperature, this complex dominates, although it exists in equilibrium with a reactive iridium dihydride cyclooctadiene complex. 1 reacts with pyridine and H2 to form neutral Ir(H)2(κC,O-L1)(py)2, which also exists in two conformers that differ according to the orientation of the seven-membered metallocycle, and while its Ir–O bond remains intact, the complex undergoes both pyridine and H2 exchange. As a consequence, when placed under para-hydrogen, efficient polarization transfer catalysis (PTC) is observed via the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) approach. Due to the neutral character of this catalyst, good hyperpolarization activity is shown in a wide range of solvents for a number of substrates. These observations reflect a dramatic improvement in solvent tolerance of SABRE over that reported for the best PTC precursor IrCl(IMes)(COD). For THF, the associated 1H NMR signal enhancement for the ortho proton signal of pyridine shows an increase of 600-fold at 298 K. The level of signal enhancement can be increased further through warming or varying the magnetic field experienced by the sample at the point of catalytic magnetization transfer.

We report on a strategy for using SABRE (signal amplification by reversible exchange) for polarizing 1H and 13C nuclei of weakly interacting ligands which possess biologically relevant and nonaromatic motifs. We first demonstrate this via the polarization of acetonitrile, using Ir(IMes)(COD)Cl as the catalyst precursor, and confirm that the route to hyperpolarization transfer is via the J-coupling network. We extend this work to the polarization of propionitrile, benzylnitrile, benzonitrile, and trans-3-hexenedinitrile in order to assess its generality. In the 1H NMR spectrum, the signal for acetonitrile is enhanced 8-fold over its thermal counterpart when [Ir(H)2(IMes)(MeCN)3]+ is the catalyst. Upon addition of pyridine or pyridine-d5, the active catalyst changes to [Ir(H)2(IMes)(py)2(MeCN)]+ and the resulting acetonitrile 1H signal enhancement increases to 20- and 60-fold, respectively. In 13C NMR studies, polarization transfers optimally to the quaternary 13C nucleus of MeCN while the methyl 13C is hardly polarized. Transfer to 13C is shown to occur first via the 1H–1H coupling between the hydrides and the methyl protons and then via either the 2J or 1J couplings to the respective 13Cs, of which the 2J route is more efficient. These experimental results are rationalized through a theoretical treatment which shows excellent agreement with experiment. In the case of MeCN, longitudinal two-spin orders between pairs of 1H nuclei in the three-spin methyl group are created. Two-spin order states, between the 1H and 13C nuclei, are also created, and their existence is confirmed for Me13CN in both the 1H and 13C NMR spectra using the Only Parahydrogen Spectroscopy protocol.

Traditional 31P NMR or MRI measurements suffer from low sensitivity relative to 1H detection and consequently require longer scan times. We show here that hyperpolarization of 31P nuclei through reversible interactions with parahydrogen can deliver substantial signal enhancements in a range of regioisomeric phosphonate esters containing a heteroaromatic motif which were synthesized in order to identify the optimum molecular scaffold for polarization transfer. A 3588-fold 31P signal enhancement (2.34% polarization) was returned for a partially deuterated pyridyl substituted phosphonate ester. This hyperpolarization level is sufficient to allow single scan 31P MR images of a phantom to be recorded at a 9.4 T observation field in seconds that have signal-to-noise ratios of up to 94.4 when the analyte concentration is 10 mM. In contrast, a 12 h 2048 scan measurement under standard conditions yields a signal-to-noise ratio of just 11.4. 31P-hyperpolarized images are also reported from a 7 T preclinical scanner.

We report pump–probe experiments employing laser-synchronized reactions of para-hydrogen (para-H2) with transition metal dihydride complexes in conjunction with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection. The pump–probe experiment consists of a single nanosecond laser pump pulse followed, after a precisely defined delay, by a single radio frequency (rf) probe pulse. Laser irradiation eliminates H2 from either Ru(PPh3)3(CO)(H)2 1 or cis-Ru(dppe)2(H)2 2 in C6D6 solution. Reaction with para-H2 then regenerates 1 and 2 in a well-defined nuclear spin state. The rf probe pulse produces a high-resolution, single-scan 1H NMR spectrum that can be recorded after a pump–probe delay of just 10 μs. The evolution of the spectra can be followed as the pump–probe delay is increased by micro- or millisecond increments. Due to the sensitivity of this para-H2 experiment, the resulting NMR spectra can have hydride signal-to-noise ratios exceeding 750:1. The spectra of 1 oscillate in amplitude with frequency 1101 ± 3 Hz, the chemical shift difference between the chemically inequivalent hydrides. The corresponding hydride signals of 2 oscillate with frequency 83 ± 5 Hz, which matches the difference between couplings of the hydrides to the equatorial 31P nuclei. We use the product operator formalism to show that this oscillatory behavior arises from a magnetic coherence in the plane orthogonal to the magnetic field that is generated by use of the laser pulse without rf initialization. In addition, we demonstrate how chemical shift imaging can differentiate the region of laser irradiation thereby distinguishing between thermal and photochemical reactivity within the NMR tube.

The hyperpolarization (HP) method signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) uses para-hydrogen to sensitize substrate detection by NMR. The catalyst systems [Ir(H)2(IMes)(MeCN)2(R)]BF4 and [Ir(H)2(IMes)(py)2(R)]BF4 [py = pyridine; R = PCy3 or PPh3; IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene], which contain both an electron-donating N-heterocyclic carbene and a phosphine, are used here to catalyze SABRE. They react with acetonitrile and pyridine to produce [Ir(H)2(NCMe)(py)(IMes)(PPh3)]BF4 and [Ir(H)2(NCMe)(py)(IMes)(PCy3)]BF4, complexes that undergo ligand exchange on a time scale commensurate with observation of the SABRE effect, which is illustrated here by the observation of both pyridine and acetonitrile HP. In this study, the required symmetry breaking that underpins SABRE is provided for by the use of chemical inequivalence rather than the previously reported magnetic inequivalence. As a consequence, we show that the ligand sphere of the polarization transfer catalyst itself becomes hyperpolarized and hence that the high-sensitivity detection of a number of reaction intermediates is possible. These species include [Ir(H)2(NCMe)(py)(IMes)(PPh3)]BF4, [Ir(H)2(MeOH)(py)(IMes)(PPh3)]BF4, and [Ir(H)2(NCMe)(py)2(PPh3)]BF4. Studies are also described that employ the deuterium-labeled substrates CD3CN and C5D5N, and the labeled ligands P(C6D5)3 and IMes-d22, to demonstrate that dramatically improved levels of HP can be achieved as a consequence of reducing proton dilution and hence polarization wastage. By a combination of these studies with experiments in which the magnetic field experienced by the sample at the point of polarization transfer is varied, confirmation of the resonance assignments is achieved. Furthermore, when [Ir(H)2(pyridine-h5)(pyridine-d5)(IMes)(PPh3)]BF4 is examined, its hydride ligand signals are shown to become visible through para-hydrogen-induced polarization rather than SABRE.

The reaction of [RhCl(P,StBu)(COD)] (1) or [Rh(P,StBu)(COD)]BF4 (2) where (P,StBu) is CpFe[η5-1,2-C5H3(PPh2)(CH2StBu)] with H2 in MeOH gives rise to COD hydrogenation and formation of a solvent-stabilized product. The formation of hydride species cannot be observed in view of a very rapid H/D exchange between H2 and the solvent. Introduction of pyridine or acetonitrile slows down this exchange process and allows observation of diastereometric dihydride complexes, [Rh(P,StBu)(H)2(L)2]+, the stereochemistry of which was fully elucidated. The hydride site exchange rates have been derived from EXSY NMR experiments and used, with assistance from DFT calculation, to elucidate the isomerization and site exchange mechanisms.

Magnetic resonance provides a versatile platform that allows scientists to examine many different types of phenomena. However, the sensitivity of both NMR spectroscopy and MRI is low because the detected signal strength depends on the population difference that exists between the probed nuclear spin states in a magnetic field. This population difference increases with the strength of the interacting magnetic field and decreases with measurement temperature. In contrast, hyperpolarization methods that chemically introduce parahydrogen (a spin isomer of hydrogen with antiparallel spins that form a singlet) based on the traditional parahydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) approach tackle this sensitivity problem with dramatic results. In recent years, the potential of this method for MRI has been recognized, and its impact on medical diagnosis is starting to be realized.In this Account, we describe the use of parahydrogen to hyperpolarize a suitable substrate. This process normally involves the introduction of a molecule of parahydrogen into a target to create large population differences between nuclear spin states. The reaction of parahydrogen breaks the original magnetic symmetry and overcomes the selection rules that prevent both NMR observation and parahydrogen/orthohydrogen interconversion, yielding access to the normally invisible hyperpolarization associated with parahydrogen. Therefore the NMR or MRI measurement delivers a marked increase in the detected signal strength over the normal Boltzmann-population derived result. Consequently, measurements can be made which would otherwise be impossible. This approach was pioneered by Weitekamp, Bargon, and Eisenberg, in the late 1980s. Since 1993, we have used this technique in York to study reaction mechanisms and to characterize normally invisible inorganic species. We also describe signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE), an alternative route to sensitize molecules without directly incorporating a molecule of parahydrogen. This approach widens the applicability of PHIP methods and the range of materials that can be hyperpolarized.In this Account we describe our parahydrogen studies in York over the last 20 years and place them in a wider context. We describe the characterization of organometallic reaction intermediates including those involved in catalytic reactions, either with or without hydride ligands. The collection of spectroscopic and kinetic data with rapid inverse detection methods has proved to be particularly informative. We can see enhanced signals for the organic products of catalytic reactions that are linked directly to the catalytic intermediates that form them. This method can therefore prove unequivocally that a specific metal complex is involved in a catalytic cycle, thus pinpointing the true route to catalysis. Studies where a pure nuclear spin state is detected show that it is possible to detect all of the analyte molecules present in a sample using NMR. In addition, we describe methods that achieve the selective detection of these enhanced signals, when set against a strong NMR background such as that of water.

The characterization of materials by the inherently insensitive method of NMR spectroscopy plays a vital role in chemistry. Increasingly, hyperpolarization is being used to address the sensitivity limitation. Here, by reference to quinoline, we illustrate that the SABRE hyperpolarization technique, which uses para-hydrogen as the source of polarization, enables the rapid completion of a range of NMR measurements. These include the collection of 13C, 13C{1H}, and NOE data in addition to more complex 2D COSY, ultrafast 2D COSY and 2D HMBC spectra. The observations are made possible by the use of a flow probe and external sample preparation cell to re-hyperpolarize the substrate between transients, allowing repeat measurements to be made within seconds. The potential benefit of the combination of SABRE and 2D NMR methods for rapid characterization of low-concentration analytes is therefore established.

The creation of magnetic states that have long lifetimes has been the subject of intense investigation, in part because of their potential to survive the time taken to travel from the point of injection in a patient to the point where a clinically diagnostic MRI trace is collected. We show here that it is possible to harness the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process to create such states in a hyperpolarised form that improves their detectability in seconds without the need for any chemical change by reference to the model substrate 2-aminothiazole. We achieve this by transferring Zeeman derived polarisation that is 1500 times larger than that normally available at 400 MHz with greater than 90% efficiency into the new state, which in this case has a 27 second lifetime.

In this work we describe how the signal enhancements obtained through the SABRE process in methanol-d4 solution are significantly affected by pH. Nicotinic acid (vitamin B3, NA) is used as the agent, and changing pH is shown to modify the level of polarisation transfer by over an order of magnitude, with significant improvements being seen in terms of the signal amplitude and relaxation rate at high pH values. These observations reveal that manipulating pH to improve SABRE enhancements levels may improve the potential of this method to quantify low concentrations of analytes in mixtures. 1H NMR spectroscopy results link this change to the form of the SABRE catalyst, which changes with pH, resulting in dramatic changes in the magnitude of the ligand exchange rates. The presented data also uses the fact that the chemical shifts of the nicotinic acids NMR resonances are affected by pH to establish that hyperpolarised 1H-based pH mapping with SABRE is possible. Moreover, the strong polarisation transfer field dependence shown in the amplitudes of the associated higher order longitudinal terms offers significant opportunities for the rapid detection of hyperpolarised NA in H2O itself without solvent suppression. 1H and 13C MRI images of hyperpolarised vitamin B3 in a series of test phantoms are presented that show pH dependent intensity and contrast. This study therefore establishes that when the pH sensitivity of NA is combined with the increase in signal gain provided for by SABRE hyperpolarisation, a versatile pH probe results.

The reaction of [RhCl(P,StBu)(COD)] (1) or [Rh(P,StBu)(COD)]BF4 (2) where (P,StBu) is CpFe[η5-1,2-C5H3(PPh2)(CH2StBu)] with H2 in MeOH gives rise to COD hydrogenation and formation of a solvent-stabilized product. The formation of hydride species cannot be observed in view of a very rapid H/D exchange between H2 and the solvent. Introduction of pyridine or acetonitrile slows down this exchange process and allows observation of diastereometric dihydride complexes, [Rh(P,StBu)(H)2(L)2]+, the stereochemistry of which was fully elucidated. The hydride site exchange rates have been derived from EXSY NMR experiments and used, with assistance from DFT calculation, to elucidate the isomerization and site exchange mechanisms.

Studies examining the photochemical reactivity of CpRu(PPh3)2Cl and CpRu(PPh3)2Me towards the two electron donor ligands PEt3, C2H4, DMSO, the CH bond activatable reagents tetrahydrofuran, toluene, and pyridine, and the SiH bond activatable reagents HSiEt3 and HSi(Me)2CHCH2) are presented. Broadband UV irradiation of CpRu(PPh3)2Cl leads to the formation of mono-substitution products such as CpRu(PPh3)(PEt3)Cl which are inert to further photochemical reaction, although thermally bis-substituted products such as CpRu(PEt3)2Cl can be formed. Room temperature irradiation of the related complex CpRu(PPh3)2Me with L = PEt3, C2H4, and DMSO also produces CpRu(PPh3)(L)Me. However, when these reactions are followed by in situ laser irradiation (325 nm source) at low temperature, three solvent activated isomers (ortho, meta and para) of CpRu(PPh3)2(C6H4Me) are detected in toluene in addition to η1- and η3-coordinated benzyl species. Furthermore, photolysis in THF leads to both the C–D bond activation product CpRu(PPh3)2(OC4D7) and the labile coordination complex CpRu(PPh3)(THF)Me. Now CH4 rather than CH3D is liberated which suggests the involvement of an orthometallated species. The photochemically driven reaction of CpRu(PPh3)2Me with HSiEt3 at 198 K generates CpRu(κ2-2-C6H4PPh2)(SiEt3)H and thereby confirms a role for an orthometallated complex is this process. Irradiation in cyclohexane produces the known orthometallated complex, CpRu(κ2-2-C6H4PPh2)(PPh3), and CH4 in accordance with this reactivity.

The applicability of the magnetic resonance (MR) technique in the liquid phase is limited by poor sensitivity and short nuclear spin coherence times which are insufficient for many potential applications. Here we illustrate how it is possible to address both of these issues simultaneously by harnessing long-lived hyperpolarised spin states that are formed by adapting the Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) technique. We achieve more than 4% net 1H-polarisation in a long-lived form that remains detectable for over ninety seconds by reference to proton pairs in the biologically important molecule nicotinamide and a pyrazine derivative whose in vivo imaging will offer a new route to probe disease in the future.

The short lived pincer complex [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2(py)]BF4 is shown to be active for signal amplification by reversible exchange. This catalyst formulation enables the efficient transfer of polarization from parahydrogen to be placed into just a single molecule of the hyperpolarisation target, pyridine. When the catalysts 1H nuclei are replaced by 2H, increased levels of substrate hyperpolarization result and when the reverse situation is examined the catalyst itself is clearly visible through hyperpolarised signals. The ligand exchange pathways of [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2(py)]BF4 that are associated with this process are shown to involve the formation of 16-electron [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2]BF4 and the 18-electron H2 addition product [(C5H3N(CH2P(tBu)2)2)Ir(H)2(H2)]BF4.

A bidentate iridium carbene complex, Ir(κC,O-L1)(COD), has been synthesised which contains a strongly electron donating carbene ligand that is functionalised by a cis-spanning phenolate group. This complex acts as a precursor to effective magnetisation transfer catalysts which form after reaction with H2 and a suitable two electron donor. In solvents such as benzene, containing pyridine, they are exemplified by neutral, chiral Ir(H)2(κC,O-L1)(py)2 with inequivalent hydride ligands and Ir–O bond retention, whilst in methanol, Ir–O bond cleavage leads to zwitterionic [Ir(H)2(κC,O−-L1)(py)3]+, with chemically equivalent hydride ligands. The active catalyst's form is therefore solvent dependent. Both these complexes break the magnetic symmetry of the hydride ligands and are active in the catalytic transfer of polarisation from parahydrogen to a loosely bound ligand. Test results on pyridine, nicotinaldehyde and nicotine reveal up to ≈1.2% single spin proton polarisation levels in their 1H NMR signals which compare to the normal 0.003% level at 9.4 Tesla. These results exemplify how rational catalyst design yields a solvent dependent catalyst with good SABRE activity.

The catalyst which is used in the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process facilitates substrate hyperpolarisation while acting to speed up the rate of relaxation. Consequently, the lifetime over which the hyperpolarised contrast agent is visible is drastically reduced. We show that the addition of a chelating ligand, such as bipyridine, rapidly deactivates the SABRE catalyst thereby lengthening the agent's relaxation times and improving the potential of SABRE for diagnostic MRI.

The catalytic hyperpolarisation of pyridine, 3-hydroxypyridine and oxazole by the Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) process is achieved by a series of water soluble iridium phosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene dihydride complexes. While the efficiency of the SABRE process in methanol-d4 solution or ethanol-d6 solution is high, with over 400-fold 1H polarisation of pyridine being produced by [Ir(H)2(NCMe)(py)(IMes)(monosulfonated-triphenylphosphine)]BF4, changing to a D2O or a D2O–ethanol solvent mixture leads to dramatically reduced activity which is rationalised in terms of low H2 solubility.

Pd(OTf)2(bcope) is shown to react in methanol solution with diphenylacetylene, carbon monoxide and hydrogen to produce the methoxy-carbonylation product methyl 2,3 diphenyl acrylate alongside cis- and trans-stilbene. In situ NMR studies harnessing the parahydrogen induced polarization effect reveal substantially enhanced 1H NMR signals in both protic and aprotic solvents for a series of reaction intermediates that play a direct role in this homogeneous transformation. Exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) measurements reveal that the corresponding CO adducts are less reactive than their methanol counterparts.

The hyperpolarisation of the 119Sn and 29Si nuclei in 5-(tributylstannyl)pyrimidine (ASn) and 5-(trimethylsilyl)pyrimidine (BSi) is achieved through their reaction with [IrCl(COD)(IMes)] (1a) or [IrCl(COD)(SIMes)] (1b) and parahydrogen via the SABRE process. 1a exhibits superior activity in both cases. The two inequivalent pyrimidine proton environments of ASn readily yielded signal enhancements totalling ∼2300-fold in its 1H NMR spectrum at a field strength of 9.4 T, with the corresponding 119Sn signal being 700 times stronger than normal. In contrast, BSi produced analogous 1H signal gains of ∼2400-fold and a 29Si signal that could be detected with a signal to noise ratio of 200 in a single scan. These sensitivity improvements allow NMR detection within seconds using micromole amounts of substrate and illustrate the analytical potential of this approach for high-sensitivity screening. Furthermore, after extended reaction times, a series of novel iridium trimers of general form [Ir(H)2Cl(NHC)(μ-pyrimidine-κN:κN′)]3 precipitate from these solutions whose identity was confirmed crystallographically for BSi.

The reaction of [Ir(IMes)(COD)Cl], [IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene, COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene] with pyridazine (pdz) and phthalazine (phth) results in the formation of [Ir(COD)(IMes)(pdz)]Cl and [Ir(COD)(IMes)(phth)]Cl. These two complexes are shown by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies to undergo a haptotropic shift which interchanges pairs of protons within the bound ligands. When these complexes are exposed to hydrogen, they react to form [Ir(H)2(COD)(IMes)(pdz)]Cl and [Ir(H)2(COD)(IMes)(phth)]Cl, respectively, which ultimately convert to [Ir(H)2(IMes)(pdz)3]Cl and [Ir(H)2(IMes)(phth)3]Cl, as the COD is hydrogenated to form cyclooctane. These two dihydride complexes are shown, by NMR, to undergo both full N-heterocycle dissociation and a haptotropic shift, the rates of which are affected by both steric interactions and free ligand pKa values. The use of these complexes as catalysts in the transfer of polarisation from para-hydrogen to pyridazine and phthalazine via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is explored. The possible future use of drugs which contain pyridazine and phthalazine motifs as in vivo or clinical magnetic resonance imaging probes is demonstrated; a range of NMR and phantom-based MRI measurements are reported.