ELISE NMR: experimental liquid sealing of NMR samples.

We present a simple, generally applicable approach to prevent sample evaporation when working at elevated temperatures in high resolution NMR. It consists of experimentally sealing the NMR sample by a second liquid (Experimental Liquid Sealing, ELISE). For aqueous samples, we identified the mineral oil commonly used in PCR application as the best candidate, because it contains only a very limited amount of water-soluble contaminants, is stable over time and heat resistant. The procedure does not interfere with shim settings, and is compatible with a wide variety of samples, including oligosaccharides and proteins. For chloroform samples, a simple drop of water allows to efficiently seal the sample, avoiding solvent evaporation even over lengthy time periods.