Porous Functionalized Polymers enable Generating and Transporting Hyperpolarized Arbitrary Solutions

Hyperpolarization by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP) has brought highly sensitive magnetic resonance to reality and has triggered the development of a plethora of promising applications in spectroscopy and imaging. Unfortunately, some severe limitations still restrain its widespread use, amongst which the experimental complexity, the need for trained personnel, and excessive prices. Broad democratization of dDNP would require remote preparation of hyperpolarized samples in dedicated facilities and transport over long distances to the point of use. We have recently pioneered a new concept in which transport over hours was enabled by formulation of 13C-labelled molecules into micro-crystallites. However, the proposed methods lacked both versatility and biocompatibility. Here, we propose a new approach relying on a new generation of hyperpolarizing polymers (HYPOPs), extremely easy to synthesize, and that bear a dual function. Arbitrary solutions, easily impregnated into these radical-containing porous HYPOPs, can be hyperpolarized within 20 min with a polarization level exceeding P(13C) > 25% in the solid state, and further stored for hours in view of transport to a remote point of use.