Using metal-organic frameworks to confine liquid samples for nanoscale NV-NMR

Abstract: Atomic-scale magnetic field sensors based on nitrogen vacancy (NV) defects in diamonds are an exciting platform for nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The detection of NMR signals from a few zeptoliters to single molecules or even single nuclear spins has been demonstrated using NV-centers close to the diamond surface. However, fast molecular diffusion of sample molecules in and out of nanoscale detection volumes impedes their detection and limits current experiments to solid-state or highly viscous samples. Here, we show that restricting diffusion by confinement enables nanoscale NMR spectroscopy of liquid samples. Our approach uses metal-organic frameworks (MOF) with angstrom-sized pores on a diamond chip to trap sample molecules near the NV-centers. This enables the detection of NMR signals from a liquid sample, which would not be detectable without confinement. These results set the route for nanoscale liquid-phase NMR with high spectral resolution.