NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (NMR) SPECTROSCOPY: BASIC PRINCIPLES AND PHENOMENA, AND THEIR APPLICATIONS TO CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE

Abstract

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has made a tremendous impact in many areas of chemistry, biology and medicine. In this report a student-oriented approach is presented, which enhances the ability of students to comprehend the basic concepts of NMR spectroscopy and the NMR spectra of various nuclei. The origin of chemical shifts, coupling constants, spin relaxation and the Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) will be discussed and their relation to molecular structure will be provided. A wide range of applications of NMR spectroscopy is presented, including exchange phenomena, the identification and structural studies of complex biomolecules, such as proteins, applications to food analysis, clinical studies, NMR as a microscope and magnetic tomography. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. Eur., 2002, 3, 229-252]