| NSF Org: |
CHE Division Of Chemistry |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 19, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 15, 2020 |
| Award Number: | 1903839 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Kelsey Cook
CHE Division Of Chemistry MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | August 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $314,324.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $361,324.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2020 = $47,000.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
160 CONVENT AVE NEW YORK NY US 10031-9101 (212)650-5418 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
160 Convent Ave, Marshak Rm 419 New York NY US 10031-9101 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
OFFICE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY AC, EPMD-ElectrnPhoton&MagnDevices, Chemical Measurement & Imaging, QIS - Quantum Information Scie |
| Primary Program Source: |
01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program, Professors Carlos A. Meriles (City College of New York) and Jeffrey A. Reimer (University of California at Berkeley), in collaboration with Delaware Diamond Knives, are working to enhance the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), an important chemical analysis tool used for wide-ranging applications that include determination of protein structure and folding dynamics; medical imaging (MRI); and probing porous rocks in search of oil. For all such applications, the limited sensitivity of NMR imposes restrictions on the minimum amount of sample that can be detected, and can result in long measurement times and limited access to expensive instrumentation. The Meriles/Reimer team is studying and utilizing interactions between light and engineered diamond crystals to enhance the sensitivity of NMR by several orders of magnitude under ambient conditions. Their multi-pronged approach - combining both fundamental and applied science - is enabling a wider range of applications and development of new contrast agents for multi-modal in-vivo imaging. This multi-institutional project is providing training opportunities targeting a diverse STEM workforce, including a number of educational opportunities at the undergraduate and high-school levels.
The Meriles and Reimer groups are pursuing a novel route to generating augmented nuclear spin polarization by leveraging the singular properties of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, a paramagnetic defect in diamond that can be completely polarized via optical excitation under ambient conditions. Specific aims include (i) defect engineering in diamond and systematic characterization of nuclear polarization buildup; (ii) development of novel, enhanced spin polarization transfer schemes tailored to both single-crystal and powdered diamond; and (iii) proof-of-principle demonstrations of polarization transfer from diamond to solid and fluid targets. The approach employs low magnetic fields (~10 mT), ambient (or near-ambient) temperature, and mild optical excitation, circumventing the need for complex, expensive hardware while offering regimes of spin polarization dynamics not explored in the past. The partnership with Delaware Diamond Knives is providing access to a broad set of diamond samples, whose characteristics (nitrogen content, 13C enrichment, surface termination, single crystal or variable-particle-size powder, etc.) are specifically tailored to attain optimal polarization transfer. The work aims to enable studies of molecular moieties in trace concentrations (typical in biochemistry), investigation of mass-limited systems (often found in synthetic chemistry), and high-throughput characterization of molecular libraries (as required in the pharmaceutical industry).
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a widely used spectroscopic and imaging technique with a range of applications in medical diagnosis, biochemical studies, and analytical science. Key to any NMR measurement is the sample?s ?nuclear spin polarization?, which is a measure of the fractional alignment of the atomic magnetic moments towards a preferential direction. Typical NMR devices impart polarization through the use of strong magnetic fields, which, unfortunately, is largely inefficient. Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) methods have been introduced in the past to circumvent this problem but those in use today typically rely on paramagnetic molecules dissolved in a solid matrix and require high-frequency microwave excitation as well as extreme cryogenic temperatures.
Throughout the award, we examined a novel route to generating augmented nuclear spin polarization by leveraging on the singular properties of the so-called nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, a paramagnetic defect in diamond that can be completely polarized via optical excitation under ambient conditions. This effort brought together groups at the City College of New York, the University of California at Berkeley and collaborators at Delaware Diamond Knives, along with several other academic and industrial partners, both domestic and international. Some of the key outcomes of the project include:
- A deeper understanding of the physical mechanisms underpinning the generation of bulk nuclear polarization in a solid.
- A battery of novel nuclear spin polarization strategies adapted to single crystal and powder geometries.
- New diamond processing schemes, including flash high-temperature annealing protocols.
- Innovative instrumentation for the investigation and deployment of dynamic nuclear polarization at low magnetic fields.
- A range of novel applications in other related study areas, e.g., in the form of dual imaging modalities combining optical microscopy and magnetic resonance, novel NV-assisted nanoscale sensing schemes, and alternative DNP routes that do not require the use of microwave or optical excitation.
In total, our research led to 12 scientific papers, several of which have been published in high-impact international journals; it also resulted in multiple conference presentations and seminars as well as three patent applications, one of which has already been issued. Accompanying this effort, the present project served as a platform to train students at all levels (from high school, to undergrad, to masters, to graduates) as well as several postdocs. This work is significant in that many of these students belong to under-represented groups or are first generation college students. Finally, this project helped develop various institutional resources, e.g., in the form of new curricula, remote access resources, and online educational material for the general public.
Last Modified: 11/28/2022
Modified by: Carlos A Meriles
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