Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
A.
Pines, Principal Investigator
The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) program develops new concepts
and techniques in NMR and its nephew, magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), in order to enhance their capability and extend their applicability
for the investigation of molecular structure and organization in
systems from materials to organisms. The study and diagnostic use
of quantum spins interacting with each other and with other degrees
of freedom requires the development of new theoretical and experimental
methods, one outcome of which is the design and fabrication of
novel, next-generation NMR and MRI instrumentation. A further component
of the program involves the application of such novel NMR methods
to materials and biomedical research in collaboration with other
programs at LBNL, and with outside laboratories and industry.
CURRENT PROJECTS
NOVEL NMR Methods for Solid Materials and Oriented Molecules
New techniques of multiple-labeling local field spectroscopy, switched-angle
spinning NMR and multidimensional correlation spectra are being
further developed and applied to anisotropic materials from mesoporous
catalysts, storage media and polymers to liquid crystals, fragile
systems and glasses, inorganic solids and catalysts, polymers,
nonmaterials and biomolecules, as well as liquid crystal solute
versions of these systems. Solid-state NMR techniques are combined
with new ex situ mobile methodology and instrumentation together
with switched angle spinning and multidimensional correlation techniques
to obtain high resolution analysis of otherwise immobile samples.
Larger macromolecules and liquid crystalline aggregates of nanorods
are studied by orientation and spinning coupled with novel correlation
techniques.
NMR and MRI of Flow and Diffusion in Nanoporous Materials
Spectroscopy and images of the distribution of fluids and mixtures
of fluids, both reacting and non-reacting, in porous materials
are being further developed to include high-resolution sample
spinning and the study of flow of fluids in nano-confined environments.
This is being combined with spinning of the magnetic field for
ex situ applications and with remote detection to enhance the
sensitivity of the encoded fluid.
“Lighting Up” NMR/MRI and Xe as
a Materials and Biomolecular Sensor
Biosensor methodology incorporated into MRI are being extended
to multiplexed sensor arrays not possible in other biosensor approaches.
New functionalized molecular sensors enhanced by dendrimerization
will be used on immobilized beads to make an NMR “chemical
nose.” Application to nanoporous materials, functionalized
molecular cages and chips will extend the sensor to higher sensitivity
and diverse chemical environments.
Ultralow and Zero-Field NMR and MRI
The new ultralow and zero-field NMR and MRI instrumentation, combined
with SQUID-NMR, are being applied to the study of materials, proteins
and aggregates otherwise NMR inaccessible . Remote detection with
SQUIDs and other enhanced-sensitivity detection methods, e.g. optical
detection, will be incorporated to allow for ex situ and remote
detection of low-field images and spectra in the absence of high
magnetic fields. The human-scale SQUID spectrometer/imager will
be tested with novel contrast mechanisms to produce images with
clinical sensitivity and resolution.
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