Polarization-Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy of Biomolecules in Frozen Solution

Large dynamic nuclear polarization signal enhancements (up to a factor of 100) were obtained in the solid-state magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of arginine and the protein T4 lysozyme in frozen glycerol-water solutions with the use of dynamic nuclear polarization. Polarization was transferred from the unpaired electrons of nitroxide free radicals to nuclear spins through microwave irradiation near the electron paramagnetic resonance frequency. This approach may be a generally applicable signal enhancement scheme for the high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy of biomolecules.