Ultrafast Multi-dimensional NMR: Principles and Recent Applications

Multidimensional NMR (nD NMR) spectroscopy is widely used in chemical and biochemical analyses. Conventional nD NMR experiments, however, are affected by inherently long acquisition durations, arising from their need to record numerous 1-D experiments in a time-incremented manner. Proposed in 2002 by Frydman and coworkers, ultrafast (UF) 2-D NMR is capable of yielding arbitrary nD homo-or heteronuclear NMR spectra in a single scan. The performance of this subsecond 2-D NMR methodology has been greatly improved in the past decade, and UF NMR has become a powerful analytical tool witnessing an expanded scope of applications. Recent developments also gave birth to a new generation of multiscan hybrid methods that offer an appealing alternative to conventional NMR for a variety of applications where the sensitivity of single-scan methods is limited. This article summarizes the principles and the recent developments that have contributed to the success of this method and focuses on applications that have been recently demonstrated in various areas of analytical chemistry - from the real-time monitoring of kinetic or dynamic processes to high-throughput metabolomics. Promising perspectives arising from the association of UF NMR with other techniques (such as hyperpolarization methods) are also highlighted.