Enhanced NMR spectra.
nanoporous silica material
NMR spectra can be greatly enhanced using dynamic nuclear polarization.
The group of Prof. Geoffrey Bodenhausen (LRMB - Laboratory of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance) showed that surface NMR spectra can be greatly enhanced using dynamic nuclear polarization. Polarization is transferred from the protons of the solvent to the rare nuclei (here carbon-13 at natural isotopic abundance) at the surface, yielding at least a 50-fold signal enhancement for surface species covalently incorporated into a silica framework.
Lesage A. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., DOI: 10.1021/ja104771z (2010)
Boosting Solid-State NMR. Surface Science: Signal-enhancing technique makes NMR a powerful probe of surfaces. Jyllian N. Kemsley (C&EN news)
Clear signals from surfaces. Nature 468 - Research: New & Views. p 381 (doi:10.1038/468381a)