Carr Purcell Meiboom Gill Pulse Sequence Research Articles

Graphite nanoplatelet/pyromellitic dianhydride melt modified PPC composites: Preparation and characterization

The properties of composites prepared by melt compounding from graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) and pyromellitic anhydride modified poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) were investigated. GNPs of different morphologies and acid residue levels were selected. Acid residues in GNP grades were detrimental for PPC in terms of thermal stability, stiffness and conservation of the molecular weight. The exfoliation of graphite nanoparticles was challenging, and morphologies of combined tactoids with thicknesses both on the micro and nano scales were observed. The filler contributed to the thermal stability, and the mechanical reinforcement was observed from approximately 6 wt% GNP and accompanied by an increase in the glass transition temperature. For a specific GNP grade, at a 15 wt% filler content, the glass transition temperature increased by 10 °C and the storage modulus measured at 20 and 30 °C increased correspondingly by a factor of ca. 3 and 30, respectively. Solid state NMR spin–spin relaxation time T2 measurements (Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence) revealed three significantly different components. Using PLS, empirical models were established which enable the prediction of some viscoelastic parameters as a function of filler parameters and the average T2.

Probing the Pore Size of Porous Ceramics with Controlled Amount of Magnetic Impurities via Diffusion Effects on the CPMG Technique

In our work, we will explore the possibility of implementing the well-known Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence to determine the pore size of porous ceramics with magnetic impurities. The proposed approach exploits the diffusion dependence of the spin-echo signal in the presence of internal gradients occurring as a result of susceptibility contrast between the porous matrix and the confined liquid. For calibrating the technique, a comparison of the pore size data with those extracted from the so-called DDIF technique (DDIF, decay due to diffusion in the internal fields) is performed. This approach can be applied for nondestructive in situ characterization of soils, concrete, biological tissues or other structures with micrometer pore size.

Non-invasive characterization of polymeric materials in relation to art conservation using unilateral NMR combined with multivariate data analysis

This article shows how to interpret data obtained by unilateral NMR for the characterization of works of art using multivariate analysis. Transverse 1H relaxation decays acquired by a Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence are directly treated by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and projection to latent structure by partial least square (PLS). The advantage of this procedure is the avoidance of any ambiguity in the model. The NMR signal is formed by a number of different hydrogen spins rendering the resulting relaxation decays multi-exponential. Therefore conventional approaches of fitting call for the use of mono-, bi-, or multi-exponential models yielding results depending on the choice of the model function. We demonstrate the technique on three examples: characterization of a set of resins representative for modern materials in art and design artefacts, mapping the state of degradation of an art work made of latex, and the analysis of a depth profile of an aged urethane rubber sample. In situ measurements often result in low signal-to-noise ratio data and the suggested technique does not only allow an unambiguous model-free approach, but is also robust against such low sensitivity data.

Utilizing NMR Mud Logging Technology To Measure Reservoir Fundamental Parameters in Well Site

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance mud logging technology (NMR mud logging) is a new mud logging technology. Mainly applies the CPMG（Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill）pulse sequence to measure transverse relaxation time (T2) of the fluid. NMR mud logging can measure drill cutting, core and sidewall core in the well site, also according to the experiment results, the sample type and size has little effect to analysis result. Through NMR logging, we can obtain several petrophysical parameters such as total porosity, effective porosity, permeability, oil saturation, water saturation, movable fluid saturation, movable oil saturation, movable water saturation, irreducible fluid saturation, irreducible oil saturation, irreducible water saturation, pore size and distribution in rock samples, etc. NMR mud logging has been used nearly 10 years in China, Sudan, Kazakhstan, etc. it plays an important role in the interpretation and evaluation of reservoir and its fluids.

Storage of quantum coherences as phase-labelled local polarization in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance

Nuclear spins are promising candidates for quantum information processing because their good isolation from the environment precludes the rapid loss of quantum coherence. Many strategies have been developed to further extend their decoherence times. Some of them make use of decoupling techniques based on the Carr-Purcell and Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequences. In many cases, when applied to inhomogeneous samples, they yield a magnetization decay much slower than that of the Hahn echo. However, we have proved that these decays cannot be associated with longer decoherence times, as coherences remain frozen. They result from coherences recovered after their storage as local polarization and thus they can be used as memories. We show here how this freezing of the coherent state, which can subsequently be recovered after times longer than the natural decoherence time of the system, can be generated in a controlled way with the use of field gradients. A similar behaviour of homogeneous samples in inhomogeneous fields is demonstrated. It is emphasized that the effects of inhomogeneities in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, independently of their origin, should not be disregarded, as they play a crucial role in multipulse sequences.

Enhanced refocusing of fat signals using optimized multipulse echo sequences

Endogenous magnetic resonance contrast based on the localized composition of fat in vivo can provide functional information. We found that the unequal pulse timings of the Uhrig's dynamical decoupling multipulse echo sequences significantly alter the signal intensity compared to conventional, equal-spaced Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill sequences. The signal increases and decreases depending on the tissue and sequence parameters, as well as on the interpulse spacings; particularly strong differences were observed in fatty tissues, which have a highly structured morphology and a wide range of chemical shifts and J-couplings. We found that the predominant mechanism for fat refocusing under multipulse echo sequences is the chemical structure, with stimulated echoes playing a pivotal role. As a result, specialized pulse sequences can be designed to optimize refocusing of the fat chemical shifts and J-couplings, where the degree of refocusing can be tailored to specific types of fats. To determine the optimal time delays, we simulated various Uhrig dynamical decoupling and Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence timings, and these results are compared to experimental results obtained on excised and in vivo fatty tissue. Applications to intermolecular multiple quantum coherence imaging, where the improved echo refocusing translates directly into signal enhancements, are presented as well.

A natural abundance solid-state 25Mg NMR study of layered magnesium phosphates

Natural abundance 25Mg solid-state magic-angle spinning and static NMR spectra of several representative layered magnesium phosphates were acquired at 21.1 and 9.4 T by using quadrupolar echo and double-frequency sweep quadrupolar Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequences. The spectra were dominated by the second-order quadrupolar interaction. The electric field gradient tensor parameters were extracted from the spectra via spectral simulations. These parameters, such as the quadrupolar coupling constant (CQ), appear to be sensitive to some parameters describing the distortion of the MgO6 octahedron in the layer. The empirical relationships between CQ and several structural parameters were established and used to obtain partial information on the Mg environment in a layered material (MgHPO4·1.2H2O) with unknown structure. Theoretical calculations suggest that the CQ values of the Mg sites are affected not only by the oxygen atoms in the first coordination sphere, but also by the spatial arrangements of the atoms in the second and third coordination spheres and beyond.

Caking characteristics and sensory attributes of ramen soup powder evaluated using a low-resolution proton NMR technique

A low-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique was used to characterize the quality of ramen soup powder during storage. The caking behavior of ramen soup powders was observed during 20 weeks of storage at different temperatures (30, 37, 45, and 55 °C) by monitoring changes in spin–spin relaxation times ( T 2) using a CPMG (Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill) pulse sequence. Water in ramen soup powder was classified into two fractions based on two spin–spin relaxation times, T 21 and T 22, and their respective proton intensities, A 1 and A 2. Increases in T 21 and T 22 were observed during storage at 37, 45, and 55 °C, which indicated that the molecular mobility of water in ramen soup powder increased. The changes in A 1 and A 2 suggested that there was a redistribution of water from a lesser “bound” water state to more mobile state during storage. T 21 and A 1 were critical factors for explaining the caking characteristic of ramen soup powder during storage. Also, the results showed that sensory attributes of ramen soup powder deteriorated during storage, indicating that caking could accompany changes in organoleptic qualities and that these changes could be detected by monitoring changes in NMR parameters.

A low-cost spectrometer for NMR measurements in the Earth's magnetic field

We describe and demonstrate an inexpensive, easy-to-build, portable spectrometer for nuclear magnetic resonance measurements in the Earth's magnetic field. The spectrometer is based upon a widely available inexpensive microcontroller, which acts as a pulse programmer, audio-frequency synthesizer and digitizer, replacing what are typically the most expensive specialized components of the system. The microcontroller provides the capability to execute arbitrarily long and complicated sequences of phase-coherent, phase-modulated excitation pulses and acquire data sets of unlimited duration. Suitably packaged, the spectrometer is amenable to measurements in the research lab, in the field or in the teaching lab. The choice of components was heavily weighted by cost and availability, but required no significant sacrifice in performance. Using an existing personal computer, the resulting design can be assembled for as little as US$200. The spectrometer performance is demonstrated with spin-echo and Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequences on a water sample.

Behavior of Two Almost Identical Spins during the CPMG Pulse Sequence

Multiple-spin-echo experiments have found wide use in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In particular, the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence is used to determine transverse relaxation times T(2). Herein it is demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, that for a pair of almost identical spins-1/2 the experimental setup can have a profound effect on the observed spin dynamics. It is shown that, in the case of dipolar relaxation, the measured T(2) values can roughly vary between the limits of identical and unlike spins, just depending on the repetition rate of pi pulses with respect to chemical shift separation. Such an effect can, in the extreme narrowing regime, amount to a 50% difference.

Surface UV aging of elastomers investigated with microscopic resolution by single-sided NMR

Depth profiles taken from the surface of UV irradiated natural rubber sheets have been measured with microscopic resolution using a Profile NMR-MOUSE ®. An NMR observable related to the sum of the spin echoes in the Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence was used to characterize the cross-link density changes produced by the action of UV radiation in each sheet. The aging process was investigated as function of irradiation time and penetration depth. An exponential attenuation law with a space dependent absorption coefficient describes the change in the NMR observable with penetration depth. An Avrami model is used to describe the dependence of the absorption coefficient on the aging time. The method can be applied to investigate the effect of various aging agents on the surfaces of elastomers.

Nuclear spins as quantum memory in semiconductor nanostructures

We theoretically consider solid state nuclear spins in a semiconductor nanostructure environment as long-lived, high-fidelity quantum memory. In particular, we calculate, in the limit of a strong applied magnetic field, the fidelity versus time of P donor nuclear spins in random bath environments of Si and GaAs, and the lifetime of excited intrinsic spins in polarized Si and GaAs environments. In the former situation, the nuclear spin dephases due to spectral diffusion induced by the dipolar interaction among nuclei in the bath. We calculate the decay of nuclear spin quantum memory in the context of Hahn and Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) refocused spin echoes using a formally exact cluster expansion technique which has previously been successful in dealing with electron spin dephasing in a solid state nuclear spin bath. With decoherence dominated by transverse dephasing (T2), we find it feasible to maintain high fidelity (losses of less than 10^{-6}) quantum memory on nuclear spins for times of the order of 100 microseconds (GaAs:P) and 1 to 2 milliseconds (natural Si:P) using CPMG pulse sequences of just a few (~2-4) applied pulses. We also consider the complementary situation of a central flipped intrinsic nuclear spin in a bath of completely polarized nuclear spins where decoherence is caused by the direct flip-flop of the central spin with spins in the bath. Exact numerical calculations that include a sufficiently large neighborhood of surrounding nuclei show lifetimes on the order of 1-5 ms for both GaAs and natural Si. Our calculated nuclear spin coherence times may have significance for solid state quantum computer architectures using localized electron spins in semiconductors where nuclear spins have been proposed for quantum memory storage.

Self-diffusion measurements by a mobile single-sided NMR sensor with improved magnetic field gradient

A simple and fast method of measuring self-diffusion coefficients of protonated systems with a mobile single-sided NMR sensor is discussed. The NMR sensor uses a magnet geometry that generates a highly flat sensitive volume where a strong and highly uniform static magnetic field gradient is defined. Self-diffusion coefficients were measured by Hahn- and stimulated echoes detected in the presence of the uniform magnetic field gradient of the static field. To improve the sensitivity of these experiments, a Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence was applied after the main diffusion-encoding period. By adding the echo train the experimental time was strongly shortened, allowing the measurement of complete diffusion curves in less than 1 min. This method has been tested by measuring the self-diffusion coefficients D of various organic solvents and poly(dimethylsiloxane) samples with different molar masses. Diffusion coefficients were also measured for n-hexane absorbed at saturation in natural rubber with different cross-link densities. The results show a dependence on the concentration that is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. Moreover, the stimulated-echo sequence was successfully used to measure the diffusion coefficient as a function of the evolution time in systems with restricted diffusion. This type of experiment proves the pore geometry and gives access to the surface-to-volume ratio. It was applied to measure the diffusion of water in sandstones and sheep Achilles tendon. Thanks to the strong static gradient G 0, all diffusion coefficients could be measured without having to account for relaxation during the pulse sequence.

Self-diffusion anisotropy of water in sheep Achilles tendon

The principal values of the diffusion tensor of free water in the pores of sheep Achilles tendon were determined. For this purpose, the azimuthally angular dependence of the self-diffusion coefficient was measured using a radiofrequency tilt coil and pulsed-field-gradient stimulated-echo (PFGSE) NMR. Combining the PFGSE with multiple acquisitions of Hahn echoes using the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence reduced the measuring time. The diffusion measurements revealed two diffusion process characterized by a fast and a slow effective diffusion coefficient. A model which describes the stimulated-echo amplitude, encoded by the water diffusion and magnetization transfer, was used for evaluation of the fast diffusion coefficients. The fast diffusion process characterizes the water molecules in pores surrounding the collagen fibrils. The diffusion coefficients characterizing the fast process show a well-defined anisotropy. The principal values of the diffusion tensors were determined assuming the elongated pores to be oriented parallel to the tendon fibrils and thus the orientation distribution function of the pores followed that of the collagen fibrils. The average aspect ratio of pores was estimated from the principal values of the water diffusion tensor and is suitable to characterize quantitatively the changes in tendon morphology due to healing or aging. The methods in this investigation can also be applied to measurements of the diffusion anisotropy using ex situ NMR sensors.

Self-diffusion coefficient by single-sided NMR

It is presented a novel method for the measure of the self-diffusion coefficient. The method exploits the fixed gradient of an open magnet, as that used in single-sided NMR, and it does not use prior information on T 2. The approach presented in this paper can be practiced also on the fringe field of superconducting magnets and it is based on the construction of the ratios between echoes taken at different interpulses separation in a Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence. The determination of the self-diffusion coefficient facilitates the estimate of T 2 because the transverse relaxation results almost influenced by the molecular diffusion effect, also at the shorter interpulses time, when it is measured in field strongly inhomogeneous.

The depletion of protein signals in metabonomics analysis with the WET–CPMG pulse sequence

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool capable of providing a comprehensive metabolic profile of biofluids such as urine, plasma, and serum. Unfortunately, when measuring serum and plasma, the high protein concentration can obscure the signals originating from low molecular weight metabolites. We evaluated the use of different parameters within the Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) pulse train of fast spin-echoes to remove the macromolecular signal contribution in one-dimensional proton ( 1 H ) NMR spectra. Experimental parameters such as the refocusing delay in the CPMG pulse train, pulse miscalibration, and recycle time were examined to assess the ability to remove the protein signals from the spectrum without causing a deleterious effect on the signals originating from free, low molecular weight metabolites. The 1 H -NMR spectra of a variety of serum samples spiked with 2 ′-deoxyadenosine were acquired using various acquisition parameters. Our results show that the delay used in the CPMG spin-echo and the combination of the acquisition pulse flip angle and recycle time are the two major factors affecting the observed metabolite signal amplitudes in the resulting 1 H -NMR spectrum.

Spectral profiles of cultured neuronal and glial cells derived from HRMAS 1H NMR spectroscopy

In the investigations of brain function and pathology in vivo by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), a decrease in the relative concentration of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) has been correlated with neuronal cell damage or loss, while a relative increase in the resonance intensity of creatine has been correlated with gliosis. However, neither metabolite is confined strictly to one cell-type. In this study, pattern recognition of spectra derived from high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) (1)H NMR spectroscopy was used to distinguish three neural cell types; cortical astrocytes, cerebellar neurones and O-2A progenitors. The intact cells contained significant amounts of lipid resonances (-CH(2)CH(3) and -CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)-) in all three cell-types, even when a T(2)-edited Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence was used, selectively attenuating resonances from macromolecules. Creatine was also detected in all three cell types. Principle component analysis (PCA) readily differentiated the NMR spectra, based on the individual metabolic profile derived from the cohort of cell type examined using conventional solvent-suppressed and CPMG pulse sequences. Creatine was not found to contribute to this separation. Moreover, the large lipid content of neuronal cells contributed most to the separation from the other cell types. This suggests that during MRS in vivo, where lipid resonances are commonly 'edited out' by T(2) delays, significant information may be sacrificed concerning relative contribution from individual cell types.

Sequential changes in MR water proton relaxation time detect the process of rat brain myelination during maturation

For better understanding of the behavior of water molecules in the animal brain, changes in magnetic resonance water proton relaxation processes were studied in the rat during maturation. Midbrains of male Wistar rats were removed at various time points ranging from 2 to 70 days after birth. Changes in relaxation time (water proton longitudinal relaxation time by the inversion recovery, and water proton transverse relaxation time by the spin echo and the Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence (CPMG)) and water content were then determined for various stages of brain development. During maturation both water proton longitudinal relaxation time and water proton transverse relaxation time values decreased and this finding paralleled the decline in water content. Using the CPMG pulse sequence, the transverse relaxation time values were observed to separate into two components after 21 days. Morphologically, the most prominent change at the matured stage of midbrain development in the rat is myelination. Water proton relaxation time, which can be estimated using the CPMG pulse sequence, showed a close correlation with myelination in the central nervous system.

Optical non-Bloch behaviour observed using an optical Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence

The optical dephasing time in Eu 3+ : Y 2SiO 5 has been measured using optical Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) experiments. The measured T 2 increases significantly as the time spacing between pulses in the CPMG sequence is decreased. This is not in agreement with the optical Bloch equations (OBEs) which assumes a constant value of T 2.

Contribution of T2Relaxation Time Mapping in the Evaluation of Cryptogenic Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

In this study we compared the results of visual analysis of MR imaging with T2relaxation time mapping of the mesial structures in a group of 97 patients with cryptogenic temporal lobe epilepsy. All patients underwent a clinical neurological examination, neuropsychological investigation, prolonged video-EEG monitoring, SPECT imaging, MR imaging, and T2relaxation time mapping. T2relaxation times were estimated with a Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequence with 48 echoes (15 to 720 ms). The mean T2relaxation time value was 118.5 ± 2 ms in the hippocampi and 120.3 ± 1.9 ms in the amygdala of 21 healthy subjects used as controls. T2relaxation mapping revealed mesial temporal sclerosis in 91.8% of the patients (often involving both the hippocampus and the amygdala) and evidenced bilateral involvement in 44.6% of the patients against 72.2 and 6.2%, respectively, for MR imaging. The ipsilateral and contralateral hippocampal T2relaxation time values did significantly correlate with seizure frequency and the contralateral hippocampal T2relaxation time value with the duration of epilepsy. In conclusion, this quantitative method is highly sensitive for the detection of mesial temporal sclerosis and permits a better evaluation of the apparently normal contralateral mesial structures.