The 300 MHz Fourier transform NMR spectrometer is used in a wide range of courses to improve the quality of education for students majoring in chemistry, biology, human nutrition, and medical technology. the objectives of this project are: to excite students about chemistry by exposing them to this powerful tool for structure determination, to train them in the theory, methods, and application of modern NMR spectroscopy, and to combine this structural tool with molecular modeling to give them a broader perspective of chemical science. The NMR spectrometer is first introduced to students in the General Chemistry cooperative laboratory program. Sophomore organic students use the instrument to obtain proton and C-13 spectra for product analysis and are also introduced to two-dimensional NMR through a COSY experiment. Students then use variable temperature NMR in the inorganic laboratory to explore the structural and fluxional behavior of inorganic systems. In the physical chemistry laboratory, students use variable temperature NMR to obtain kinetic and thermodynamic data for the internal rotations in N,N-dimethylacetamides. In instrumental analysis, students use the instrument to study the relationships between time and frequency domain spectra as well as signal averaging and digital filtering. Emphasis is placed on using the NMR in conjunction with molecular modeling to provide the opportunity for students to explore the relationship between structure and spectra. *
