This project involves developing a curriculum revision to increase students' experience with modern nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The modifications are giving all chemistry majors earlier exposure to this fundamental spectroscopic tool and are expanding their experiences to include more modern FT-NMR applications. Five computers, an air dryer, and NMR processing software are allowing off-line PC processing of NMR data and enhancing the variable temperature capabilities of the department's FT-NMR spectrometer. Students have opportunities to work directly with NMR data beginning in the sophomore year. They gain experience with processing NMR data and learn to operate the spectrometer and apply it to a variety of chemical problems. Experiments involve investigation of dynamic processes and the use of spectral simulation to analyze second-order spectra. Computerized problem assignments supplement the laboratory applications at each step. The experiments, NMR data sets, and computer exercises are valuable in other 4-year educational settings, and the data sets and computer exercises are applicable at 2-year institutions and other sites lacking an NMR spectrometer.
