For the past several years, the chemistry department has been engaged in a program to modernize its facilities and instrumentation. A new organic lab has been built. New instruments have been purchased including two infrared spectrometers, a UV-visible spectrophotometer and five computers. The acquisition, through this project, of a NMR spectrometer was the next logical step in the modernization program. NMR spectroscopy had been taught entirely as a classroom subject at the college. Direct laboratory experience with the NMR added a new dimension to learning this difficult subject, making it vivid and real. Since most four-year colleges and universities provide laboratory experiments in NMR for sophomore organic students, having the NMR spectrometer provides the sophomores with an educational experience equivalent to that of sophomores at other schools. The plan for using the NMR has three parts. At the end of the first semester organic course, students are introduced to the instrument via a demonstration, computer simulation, supervised practice and, finally recording the spectrum of an unknown. During the second semester students use NMR spectroscopy to characterize the products of synthetic reactions. Finally, at the end of the second semester, students use NMR in doing qualitative organic analysis. The institution has contributed to this project in an amount equal to the NSF funds.
