Martyn Poliakoff was a pioneer of early time-resolved infrared spectroscopy leading on to the modern experiments also described in this symposium. Many years later, we are doing analogous experiments inside the magnet of an NMR spectrometer. We initiate reactions with a pulsed UV laser that irradiates a solution in the NMR probehead. By employing para-hydrogen to increase the population of selected nuclear spin states of metal hydride complexes, we can interrogate the samples with a radio frequency pulse from the spectrometer. This is so sensitive that a conventional 1H NMR spectrum may be obtained with a single laser pulse and a single rf pulse. The process is repeated with different delays between the laser and the rf pulse to build up a time sequence of NMR spectra. The synchronization achieved by the pulsed laser helps to reveal unusual magnetic phenomena.

NMR goes faster with a pulsed laser and para-hydrogen

2019 Fall National Meeting

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