Project Details
Projekt
Microscale devices for in situ magnetic resonance enhanced by parahydrogen induced hyperpolarization - µDIMREPHiP
Subject Area
Microsystems
Term
from 2019 to 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426191032
The ability to monitor a chemical process with molecular specificity is appealing across many disciplines where details of transport, chemical conversion, and reaction kinetics are desired. Revealing these details in biological systems is important in the context of determining the development of dysfunctional phenotypes and their response to external stress. Technical systems also stand to benefit from knowing these details in the context of understanding reaction progress and homogeneity within chemical reactors. The challenge is in choosing an appropriate analytical technique satisfying the following requirements: non-invasive, non-destructive, broad chemical and physical coverage, high-sensitivity and selectivity. Magnetic resonance (MR) is a technique that addresses three of the four requirements. It is non-invasive, non-destructive and shows a broad applicability for measuring physical and chemical parameters. Sensitivity and selectivity is the primary challenge facing MR; however, by using signal enhancement strategies this can be overcome. It is the aim of the µDIMREPHiP team to develop MR systems capable of revealing the details of chemical processes by simultaneously satisfying the four desired analytical features. The project outcomes will have the potential to significantly influence chemical reaction monitoring in general. With the development of dedicated miniaturized gas-liquid contactors compatible with NMR, a new branch of applications will become available beyond PHiP (e.g. gas supply for pH maintenance and oxygenation of culture media, hyperpolarized noble gas experiments). Microfluidic platforms designed for chemical reaction monitoring by NMR will be interesting to partners requiring i) small-scale, high-throughput screening for reaction optimization, and ii) rapid drug screening and mode of action studies using biological systems.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
