NMR Tech Talk: March 2014

The purpose of this laboratory experiment is for students to learn how to use a Thermo Scientific picoSpin 45 MHz NMR spectrometer and interpret experimentally-acquired 1H NMR spectra. In this lab, students obtain the 1H NMR spectrum of an unknown organic liquid chosen from a variety of compounds representing multiple functional groups.

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In this lab, you will distill a mixture of cyclohexane and p-xylene. The success of a distillation can be evaluated by collecting temperature and spectroscopic data as the fractions are being separated. A good distillation will produce a temperature vs. fraction graph with a plateau for each compound collected and a steep rise in temperature between fractions and spectroscopic data will show little or no contamination from neighboring fractions.

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In this classroom demonstration we will simplify the explanation and make the abstract concepts more concrete by combining quantum mechanics and NMR spectroscopy in one demonstration. Although NMR spectra can be obtained using a number of different nuclei, we will focus on 1H or “proton” NMR.

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The purpose of this experiment is to synthesize isopentyl acetate (3-methylbutyl acetate) via an esterification reaction between acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol (3-methylbutanol), using concentrated sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The product will be washed, distilled, then characterized using NMR spectroscopy.

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