Chemistry (12) The major objective of this project is to introduce affordable, modern nuclear magnetic resonance technology into the chemistry curriculum at all levels and to use this to improve conceptual understanding of the very important area of NMR spectroscopy. This is accomplished by upgrading an older continuous wave NMR spectrometer (EM360A) to an FT-NMR instrument using the currently popular and proven Anasazi technology. This hardware/software upgrade modernizes the instrument and extends its capability to 2D experiments and to other nuclei, including C-13, P-31, and F-l9. HyperNMR, a molecular modeling add-on to existing departmental software, allows for the computation of chemical shifts, splitting constants, and NMR spectra for a variety of nuclei. The fundamentals of NMR are introduced in 100-level and 200-level courses (General, Organic) for science majors, including nursing and allied health students. At that level, the focus is on proton decoupled C-13 NMR, with at least one experiment in each course to illustrate the use of NMR in molecular structure analysis. The pedagogical advantage this offers over the traditional H- 1 NMR approach is the simplicity of interpretation of C-13 NMR. In subsequent courses, NMR concepts are extended to include proton spectra, the concept of spin-spin splitting, the use of DEPT to distinguish types of carbons in C-13 NMR, 2-D techniques, and the use of other nuclei such as P-31. Molecular modeling relates observed C-13 shifts to computed charges on the atoms, and allows the computation of spectra. The experiments chosen to be implemented in this project are adaptations and enhancements of experiments documented in the chemical educational literature (primarily the J. Chemical Education), and in textbooks. In a unique partnership, students compare their C-13 and H-1 60 MHz spectra with spectra from a neighboring university with a larger 300 MHz instrument and/or with spectra available on the Internet. Significant comparative results are posted to the department's WEB page. This integrated approach to NMR concepts is having a substantial impact on the curriculum locally and can serve as a model for programs at other small institutions who are interested in strengthening their NMR curriculum. The evaluation/assessment activities of this project are facilitated by an external consultant with expertise in this area.
