Project Grant 2404388

This Project Grant award for $298,000, provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program, supports collaborative research between professors at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Wayne State University. The project aims to improve the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through the development of new, cost-effective means of enhancing nuclear magnetization. Key objectives include: (i) advancing the understanding of "SABRE" (signal amplification by reversible exchange) processes to enable improved hyperpolarization of target molecules; (ii) achieving high spin polarization in protons and heteronuclei (e.g. 117Sn, 15N, 13C) for new types of NMR/MRI experiments; and (iii) exploiting spin networks to enable novel NMR/MRI readout modes for enhancing the sensitivity and resolution of chemical reaction measurements, potentially in living tissues. A subaward to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will support undergraduate research in molecule synthesis and instrumentation development. This collaborative project seeks to advance fundamental spin physics knowledge while also pursuing applied innovations to significantly improve NMR and MRI capabilities.