New Solenoidal Microcoil NMR Probe Using Zero-Susceptibility Wire.

We present the construction and performance of a 20-μL active volume probe that utilizes zero-susceptibility wire for the detection transceiver coil and a 3.5 mm outer diameter thin-wall bubble flow cell to contain the sample. The probe shows good rf homogeneity, resolution, line shape and sensitivity. The sensitivity and resolution of the 20-μL probe was compared to those for several other coil configurations, including smaller detection volumes, a thin wire copper coil immersed in susceptibility matching perfluorocarbon FC-43 (fluorinert) fluid, and a standard 5 mm probe. In particular, the (1)H mass sensitivity, S(m) (SNR per micromole), was 3-4 fold higher than that for the standard 5 mm probe. Finally, the use of the zero-susceptibility wire in smaller volume probes is discussed along with potential future improvements and applications.