Position of Signals: The Chemical Shift Basic Vocabulary: Chemical Shift—the position of a signal in an NMR spectrum. Deshielded (downfield)—a nucleus whose chemical shift is increased, feels stronger magnetic field due to the removal of electron density, magnetic induction, etc in neighboring atoms or groups Integration—In NMR spectroscopy, the process of measuring the area of an NMR signal. It is used to determine the relative number of hydrogens that correspond to each signal. Magnetic Induction—In NMR spectroscopy, the phenomenon that an external magnetic field causes pi electrons in an electron cloud to circulate. As these electrons move around, their own electric charge causes them to create their own magnetic field. Ppm—In NMR spectroscopy, the x­axis units of the chemical shift scale. The ppm scale increases from right to left. Shielded (upfield)—a nucleus whose chemical shift is decreased, feels weaker magnetic field due to the addition of electron density, magnetic induction, etc in neighboring atoms or groups Tetramethylsilane (TMS)—a chemical shift reference used in NMR spectroscopy because it has a chemical shift of 0.00 ppm. chemical shift = 0.00 ppm by definition What is a chemical shift? It is controlled by the ΔE (spin‐flip energy), which is determined by the magnitude of the magnetic field at the nucleus. For instance: Low magnetic field small ΔE (low chemical shift) High magnetic field large ΔE (high chemical shift) Chemical shift, ,is the difference between the frequency of a nuclear spin flip of the nucleus in question and the nuclear spin flip of a reference molecule, divided by the operating frequency of the NMR spectrometer. In other words, it is the resonant frequency of a nucleus compared to a standard. The position and number (intensity) of chemical shifts can help us determine a molecule’s structure. A chemical shift graph: Different groups within in a molecule can have different chemical shifts, depending on their bonds and the atoms attached. What factors cause chemical shifts? 1. Electron Density: In general, higher electron density lower chemical shift lower electron density higher chemical shift High electron density of neighboring atoms may shield the nucleus from an external magnetic field. If there is little or no electron density in nearby atoms or groups, the nucleus can also be deshielded. What is shielding and deshielding? Shielding is when the nucleus experiences a weaker magnetic field around it. This can be caused by other atoms “getting in the way” of the nucleus and the magnetic field, or the nucleus itself having a low spin‐flip energy. Due to the weaker magnetic field it experiences, a nucleus with more shielding will have a lower ppm and therefore lie on the right side of the chemical shift scale. Deshielding is when the nucleus experiences a higher magnetic field around it. This can be due to its proximity to a strong magnetic field or having itself a high spin‐flip energy. Because of its high magnetic field, a more deshielded nucleus will have a higher ppm and therefore lie on the left side of the chemical shift scale. Chemical Shift Scale (ppm) More Deshielded More Shielded 2. Electronegativity: The higher the electronegativity difference between H and its surrounding atoms, the higher the chemical shift. This is because the higher the electronegativity difference between H and another atom, the lower the electron density is around the H (proton), and thus the more deshielding the proton experiences. As a result, the proton will have a higher chemical shift. For example: Iodine has an EN of 2.5 Bromine has an EN of 2.8 Chlorine has an EN of 3.0 Fluorine has an EN of 4.0 Hydrogen has an EN of 2.1 The H—I bond is the least electronegative and the H—F bond is the most electronegative. So, in terms of chemical shifts, H—I < H—Br < H—Cl < H—F. Less EN difference, so lower chemical shift More EN difference, so higher chemical shift Other Trends: • Electronegativity effects decrease with increasing distance: As the hydrogens move farther away from chlorine, the most electronegative atom in the molecule, they experience more shielding due to the other hydrogen’s “in the way.” As a result, the Ha’s have a significantly higher chemical shift (3.42 ppm), than the Hd’s (0.92 ppm). • In a methane molecule, the more “R” groups that are attached to the central carbon atom, the more electronegative the molecule is, and therefore the higher the chemical shift. R3CH > RCH2R > RCH3 because the EN of the “R” group is greater than the EN of hydrogen. (Whatever “R” is, it will have a greater electronegativity than H). Extra Example: Visual representation of C‐H chemical shifts in different molecules: cyclo‐ hexane aldehyde alkene nitro benzene Increasing chemical shift PPM TMS, 0 ppm Decreasing chemical shift It is important to note that the position of signals is different from the relative intensity of the signals or peaks. The position is what has been discussed here: it is dependent upon shielding and electronegativity of nearby atoms. The intensity is proportional to the relative number of equivalent protons there are in one position—it is related to the measurement of the area under the peak, calculated by integration. Practice Problem: Which of the following has the highest chemical shift? Which has the lowest? Solution: 1. CH3F Fluorine is the most electronegative atom (EN=4.0). Therefore, in the C—F bond, the area of electron density is around the F, so there is less proton density around C and surrounding H’s (protons). As a result, there is more deshielding (or less shielding) around the protons, causing there to be a great chemical shift. Oxygen has an EN of 3.5, and bromine has an EN of 2.8. Oxygen has a greater EN Works Cited: "The Basis for Differences in Chemical Shifts." UC Davis ChemWiki. 3 Aug. 2011. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu>. "Chemical Shift." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_shift>. Hardinger, Steven. Chemistry 14C Lecture Supplement. Fifth ed. Plymouth, MI: Hayden‐McNeil, 2011. Hardinger, Steven. "UCLA Chemistry and Biochemistry." Organic Chemistry at UCLA. UCLA Chemistry and Biochemistry. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.chem.ucla.edu/harding/index.html>. "Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy." NMR Spectroscopy. Web. 12 May 2012. <http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/Spectrpy/nm r/nmr1.htm>.