This workshop will provide a form to describe and discuss recent breakthroughs in sensitivity enhancement of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods through dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and use of paramagnetic doping agents. NMR is arguably the most information-rich spectroscopic technique, and has broad applications for materials science medicine and biology, yet it is hampered by low sensitivity. Dynamic nuclear polarization experiments have demonstrated potential to attain dramatic enhancements for the sensitivity of NMR detection. DNP experiments involve observation of samples containing paramagnetic agents, either doped or naturally occurring. Irradiation of the ESR lines corresponding to these sites can result in favorable non-equilibrium changes in the polarization of the nuclear spin systems. Under favorable conditions, quite dramatic sensitization of the NMR systems, up to x600 can be observed. Despite the potentially transformative nature of DNP, and the rapidly growing popularity of these experiments, the methods and mechanisms of DNP are not very well understood, and many open questions must be explored to develop DNP as a general and robust technique that enables structural characterization.

This area is at an intersection of several fields of spectroscopy, for example NMR of paramagnetic materials, EPR, and theories of spin diffusion and spin temperature, and therefore progress in this field will benefit from discussions among these distinct sub-disciplines. NMR of paramagnetic species is itself an emerging and challenging area of spectroscopy, and offers expanding opportunities for structural investigation via a wealth of structural and electronic information contained in the NMR observables and the possibilities of exploiting paramagnetic relaxation for sensitivity enhancement.

This workshop will be unique in bringing together scientists who work on the development and applications of NMR, EPR, paramagnetic NMR and dynamic nuclear polarization methodologies and their applications to biological and inorganic materials; there currently is no such venue where this promising and expanding area of spectroscopy is discussed. The workshop will include presentations by the participants, highlighting emerging techniques, and convening in-depth discussions and brain-storming sessions on the future directions of the field.