Back to marketplace

Structure determination

No description yet. This curated deck is ready for daily study.

Total cards: 19•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

Card preview (19)

#1
Front (Question)

What is NMR spectroscopy

Back (Answer)

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

#2
Front (Question)

Summarise how NMR works

Back (Answer)

• A magnetic field is applied to a sample, which is surrounded by a source of radio waves and a radio receiver. • This generates an energy change in the nuclei of atoms in the sample that can be detected. • Electromagnetic energy is emitted which can then be interpreted by a computer.

#3
Front (Question)

Which carbon isotope does carbon NMR use and why

Back (Answer)

• Carbon-13 because it has a nuclear spin whereas carbon-12 does not. • This is because carbon-12 has an even number of nucleons.

#4
Front (Question)

What does the NMR instrument produce

Back (Answer)

A graph of energy absorbed (from the radio signal) vertically against chemical shift horizontally

#5
Front (Question)

Why don’t all of the carbon-13 atoms in a molecule resonate at the same magnetic field strength

Back (Answer)

• Carbon atoms in different functional groups feel the magnetic field differently. • This is because all nuclei are shielded from the external magnetic field by the electrons that surround them. • Nuclei with more electrons around them are better shielded. • The greater the electron density around a carbon-13 atom, the smaller the magnetic field felt by the nucleus and the lower the frequency at which it resonates.

#6
Front (Question)

What are the units for chemical shift

Back (Answer)

Parts per million (ppm)

#7
Front (Question)

What compound do we use to calibrate/compare other NMR values to

Back (Answer)

Tetramethylsilane (TMS) which has a chemical shift that we define as 0

#8
Front (Question)

What is the key principle that CNMR works on

Back (Answer)

That carbon atoms in different environments will give different chemical shift values.

#9
Front (Question)

Why do the two carbons in ethanol have different chemical shift values

Back (Answer)

• They are in different environments. • The carbon that is bonded to the oxygen has a greater chemical shift value because the oxygen is electronegative and so draws electrons away from this carbon, causing it to become deshielded. • The other carbon is surrounded by more electrons and therefore is more shielded so has a smaller chemical shift value.

#10
Front (Question)

Why is it easier to get a HNMR spectrum than a CNMR spectrum

Back (Answer)

Nearly all hydrogen atoms are 1H whereas not many carbon atoms are 13C

#11
Front (Question)

What are the two types of NMR

Back (Answer)

• CNMR (carbon NMR) • HNMR (proton NMR)

#12
Front (Question)

How does HNMR work

Back (Answer)

• Hydrogen atoms attached to different functional groups feel the magnetic field differently. • this is because all nuclei are shielded from the external magnetic field by the electrons that surround them. • Nuclei with more electrons around them are better shielded. • The greater the electron density around a hydrogen atom, the smaller the chemical shift value.

#13
Front (Question)

What does the height of the peaks on a HNMR spectrum tell us

Back (Answer)

The relative number of each type of hydrogen.

#14
Front (Question)

Describe the relationship between how close the hydrogen atoms are to electronegative atoms and the chemical shift

Back (Answer)

The closer the H atoms are to very electronegative atoms or double C bonds, the greater the chemical shift

#15
Front (Question)

Why is tetramethylsilane used to compare chemical shift values

Back (Answer)

• All hydrogen atoms are in the same environment • All carbon atoms are in the same environment • it is inert • it is non-toxic • it is easy to remove from the sample

#16
Front (Question)

Why does spin-spin coupling occur

Back (Answer)

The applied magnetic field felt by the hydrogen atoms is affected by the magnetic field of the hydrogen atoms on the neighbouring carbon atoms.

#17
Front (Question)

What is the n+1 rule for HNMR

Back (Answer)

n hydrogens on an adjacent carbon atom will split a peak into n+1 smaller peaks

#18
Front (Question)

What solvents can be used for HNMR and why

Back (Answer)

-Tetrachloromethane CCl4 which is useful because it contains no hydrogen atoms. - Solvents containing deuterium are also used because whilst deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen, it does not produce an NMR signal in the same range as hydrogen.

#19
Front (Question)

What 4 things are involved in interpreting a HNMR spectra

Back (Answer)

1) number of signals 2) relative intensity of signals 3) Splitting pattern of signals 4) position of signals