Students Constructing for Themselves the Concept of Chemical Shift Correlation for Organic Substructures

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
spectroscopy is an indispensable
tool for structure analysis. Students traditionally learn to interpret
NMR spectra by using correlation tables to connect substructural units
to their respective signals. This activity presents a successfully
implemented classroom exercise in which students discover for themselves
the pattern underlying the chemical shift correlation. To accomplish
this goal, students analyze sets of NMR data selected to highlight
paradigms of molecular structure on chemical shift, including the
effects of electronegative elements, double bonds, and aromatic systems
as well as cumulative effects. This approach improved students’
abilities to interpret spectra and use correlation tables.