This department is obtaining instrumentation suitable to determine high-field lH and 13C Fourier-transform nuclear magnetic resonance (FT-NMR) spectra in an undergraduate environment, which includes classroom work and undergraduate research. The 200-MHz instrument has excellent sensitivity and resolution capabilities at a reasonable cost. The software used is similar to that of other sophisticated instruments, so that students going elsewhere after graduation will be able to adjust to the operation of FT-NMR equipment at a new location. Spectra are to be obtained directly by students, the new equipment being amenable to such a policy. Each student-user experiences proving the structure of unknowns using lH and 13C FT-NMR, verifying the structure of a product of reaction, measuring the percentage of components in an equilibrium or a mixture, deriving structural information from both lH and 13C FT-NMR, analyzing patterns of coupling through decoupling techniques, measuring relaxation times, noting effects in variable-temperature spectra, and analyzing other problems. Students also see how FT-NMR spectra can be used in tandem with other analytical methods, such as gas and liquid chromatography, and with other spectroscopic methods, such as infrared ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, to solve structural and analytical problems. Through direct participation in operating the FT-NMR spectrometer and interpreting results, students gain hands-on experience with a method of structural analysis that has become crucial to the progress and development of chemical knowledge. This is important for students who are new to chemistry and also for those who are engaged in undergraduate research projects.
