CIQTEK has announced its CryoHe series of cryogenic NMR probes, as well as the high-field solid-state NMR spectrometers of the CAN-S series. The company claims these are the first commercial products of this type developed in China. Both products were unveiled on October 31st at the Second Conference on Analytical Science and Instruments in Wuhan, according to Science and Technology Daily, citing IT Home. CIQTEK states that both devices are ready for mass production.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers are fundamental tools for determining molecular structure, such as studying the backbone of a new drug molecule, the folding method of a protein in solution, or the concentration of a metabolite in a sample. The instrument's sensitivity is largely determined by the probe placed inside the magnet that captures the weak signal; cooling is the primary method for increasing sensitivity in liquid NMR.
The CryoHe probe utilizes closed-cycle cryogenic cooling to maintain the key radiofrequency coil at a temperature of approximately 20 K, equivalent to about minus 253 degrees Celsius. This suppresses thermal noise in the coil and front-end electronics. CIQTEK asserts that this increases proton (1H) sensitivity by approximately three times compared to a standard room-temperature probe, and launch reports indicate an increase of more than threefold. According to the product page, the 54 mm diameter probe is suitable for CIQTEK's CAN series spectrometers, allows observation of 1H, 13C, 15N, 31P, and 19F nuclei among others, features a Z-axis gradient of at least 50 G/cm, and includes automatic tuning and matching, as well as a 2H cryogenic preamplifier for field locking.
The engineering challenge was overcoming the temperature differential. The liquid sample must remain near room temperature and not freeze, while the coil, located about 2 mm away from it, is at 20 K—a difference of nearly 280 degrees over the thickness of a coin. CIQTEK Chief Engineer Shi Zhifu noted that any heat leak, vibration, or temperature drift reduces sensitivity, so the team employed closed-cycle cooling, low-vibration design, and precise temperature control.
CIQTEK focuses on structural biology, drug screening, natural products, synthetic chemistry, and metabolomics—areas where samples are often scarce or diluted. The CAN-S spectrometer is designed for solid-state samples instead of liquids. It can directly study local structure, coordination environments, interfacial states, and molecular motion within materials such as battery cathode electrodes, solid electrolytes, catalysts, crystalline drug forms, polymers, and composites. Its field strength was not specified in the reports.
High-end cryogenic probes have long been supplied predominantly by manufacturers from Germany and Japan, leading to long procurement times and high purchasing and maintenance costs for laboratories in China. Kong Xueqian, head of the Advanced NMR Center at Jiaotong University Shanghai, stated that this launch provides users in the fields of batteries, catalysis, and medicine with an additional option and a more stable supply chain.
