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ACD/Labs Blog

Several NMR experiments offer tools to help determine the stereochemistry of a structure. Some typical experiments are 1D NOE (Nuclear Overhauser Effect), 2D NOESY (NOE Spectroscopy) and ROESY (Rotating-frame Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy). These experiments will produce signals for nuclei that are close to each other through space independent of the number of bonds separating the...

In the blog series entitled Distinguishing Impurities, several types of NMR experiments were outlined to offer some insight into what to be on the look out for. Although there is no set guideline in this process, the best advice I may offer is to keep track of all the solvents, be aware of the possibility...

Although a 1H-13C HMBC experiment may take a long time to collect with adequate signal-to-noise, it can offer an idea as to which signals belong ‘together’. Generally, signals belonging to the same structure leave a trail of connectivity information via long range correlations. If the atoms belong to the same structure, then a typical HMBC...

The past few blogs, Part 3 and Part 4, have examined impurity(ies) identification from short-range 2D NMR experiments without much success. If proton singlets, possibly attributed to impurities, are to be distinguished from the main unknown, then long-range 2D NMR experiments may help out by establishing long-range correlations to other atoms. A 1H-1H TOCSY experiment...

Certain NMR experiments offer clues to differentiate a signal from the main unknown and from the impurity(ies). Some clues are not as obvious as others and so it takes a little practice to understand what to look for in a dataset. A 1H-1H double quantum filter (DQF) COSY experiment (shown below) is used to filter...

In the series Distinguishing Impurities, Part 1 pointed to certain signs in which an elucidator can differentiate a signal as pertaining to an impurity and not to the main unknown. Part 1 also made reference to using 2D NMR data as a practical approach to ascertain whether a signal from a 1H NMR was an...

Misconstrued coupling patterns on a 1H NMR spectrum can halt an elucidation process in its track. As such, structural connectivity is best validated with additional data such as a 1H-1H COSY. A good use of coupling patterns and coupling constants is at the end of the elucidation process. Candidate structures can be verified or eliminated...

One of the trickiest parts of interpreting a 1H-13C HMBC is deciding whether a 13C resonance is coinciding with another 13C resonance, i.e. overlapping 13C peaks. A past blog, Part 1, describes a specific case where the possibility of two coinciding 13C resonances can be deciphered based on a high carbon correlation count. Herein, we...

Chemical shift information offers a clue into an atom’s hybridization state. For example, carbon atoms with a carbon chemical shift greater than 90 ppm are typically considered as sp2 carbons. If 4 sp2 carbons are present, one can infer 2 alkene pairs. Five sp2 carbons and an available oxygen and nitrogen atom suggest the possibility...

A common misinterpretation of 2D NMR data can occur when dealing with weak correlations. Weak correlations are commonly introduced in how the sample is prepared or how the data is collected or processed. Examining the spectrum down to level of the density matrix can ensure all correlations are picked up. The 1H-13C HMQC below shows...