Single and double-selective split-inversion pulse and recovery (SIP-R) sequences for targeted T1 relaxation measurements

Split-Inversion-Pulse and Recovery (SIP-R) is a recently introduced NMR methodology for acquiring spin-lattice relaxation data with a robust decay-to-zero intensity profile as a function of recovery time. This decay-to-zero behavior is particularly advantageous for extracting multiple relaxation times and coefficients using inverse Laplace transformation (ILT) algorithms. In this study, two frequency-selective adaptations of SIP-R are introduced, incorporating either one or two frequency-selective pulses in the SIP-R dual-scan experiment to excite only specific spectral regions. In a test using a non-viscous, small-molecule solution of ethanol in D₂O, both single- and double-selective SIP-R sequences reproduced reasonably well the relaxation times obtained with the non-selective SIP-R method. However, the double-selective SIP-R experiment introduced additional, shorter relaxation times, which were interpreted as artifacts due to the extended duration of the second frequency-selective pulse. Applying the non-selective SIP-R method to a polymer hydrogel enabled the quantitative differentiation of freely moving water molecules (95 %) and water tightly bound to the polymer chains (5 %). The frequency-selective SIP-R variants revealed strong NOE effects between water and polymeric amide resonances, similar to previous findings that suggest strong interactions between water molecules and amine groups in a different type of polymer hydrogel.