Xe NMR-based sensors: biological applications and recent methods

International audienceXenon is a first-rate sensor of biological events, due to its large polarizable electron cloud inducing significant modification of NMR parameters through slight changes in its local environment. The use of xenon as a sensor is of increasing interest for sensitive magnetic resonance imaging, since its signal can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude, mainly by spin-exchange optical pumping. Furthermore xenon can be vectorized toward targets of interest by using functionalized host systems, enabling their detection at subnanomolar concentrations. Associated with a new generation of detection methods this gives rise to a powerful molecular imaging approach, where xenon can be delivered on purpose several times after introduction of the functionalized host system