Abstract #2551

Bargon J, Rizi R

Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization (PHIP) yields strong nuclear spin polarization[1] of protons and heteronuclei including 13C. Because of the relatively long T1 relaxation times of quarternary carbons especially, 13C-hyperpolarized molecules appear intrinsically more attractive as contrast reagents for MRI than their 1H-hyperpolarized counterparts. We have demonstrated a technique for reversibly hydrogenating potential contrast agents to generate a hyperpolarized version of a target molecule without synthesizing an unsaturated precursor as was previously required. This development should speed the creation and testing of hyperpolarized agents for bloodflow and molecular imaging.