High Resolution Proton NMR (Edexcel International A Level Chemistry)

• More structural details can be deduced using high resolution NMR
• The peaks observed on a high resolution NMR may sometimes have smaller peaks clustered together
• The splitting pattern of each peak is determined by the number of protons on neighbouring environments

The number of peaks a signal splits into = n + 1

(Where n = the number of protons on the adjacent carbon atom)

High resolution ¹H NMR spectrum of ethanol showing the splitting patterns of each of the 3 peaks. Using the n+1, it is possible to interpret the splitting pattern

• Each splitting pattern also gives information on relative intensities
  • A doublet has an intensity ratio of 1:1 – each peak is the same intensity as the other
  • In a triplet, the intensity ratio is 1:2:1 – the middle of the peak is twice the intensity of the 2 on either side
  • In a quartet, the intensity ratio is 1:3:3:1 – the middle peaks are three times the intensity of the 2 outer peaks

Integrated spectra

• In ¹H NMR, the relative areas under each peak give the ratio of the number of protons responsible for each peak
• The NMR spectrometer measures the area under each peak, as an integration spectra
  • This provides invaluable information for identifying an unknown compound

• The ¹H NMR of methyl chloroethanoate, ClCH₂COOCH_3, will show an integration spectra in the peak area ratio of 2:3
  • 2 for the protons in the CH₂
  • 3 for the protons in CH₃

Spin-Spin Splitting

• A ¹H NMR peak can show you the structure of the molecule but also the peaks can be split into sub-peaks or splitting patterns
• These are caused by a proton's spin interacting with the spin states of nearby protons that are in different environments
  • This can provide information about the number of protons bonded to adjacent carbon atoms
  • The splitting of a main peak into sub-peaks is called spin-spin splitting

The n+1 rule

• The number of sub-peaks is one greater than the number of adjacent protons causing the splitting
  • For a proton with n protons attached to an adjacent carbon atom, the number of sub-peaks in a splitting pattern = n+1

• When analysing spin-spin splitting, it shows you the number of hydrogen atoms on the immediately adjacent carbon atom
• These are the splitting patterns that you need to be able to recognise from a ¹H spectra:

¹H NMR Peak Splitting Patterns Table

• Splitting patterns must occur in pairs, because each protons splits the signal of the other
• There are some common splitting pairs you will see in a spectrum however you don't need to learn these but can be worked out using the n+1 rule
  • You will quickly come to recognise the triplet / quartet combination for a CH₃CH₂  because it is so common

Common pair of splitting patterns

• A quartet and a triplet in the same spectrum usually indicate an ethyl group, CH₃CH₂-
• The signal from the CH₃ protons is split as a triplet by having two neighbours
• The signal from the CH₂ protons is split as a quartet by having three neighbours
• Here are some more common pairs of splitting patterns

Common pairs of splitting patterns

¹H NMR spectrum of propane

• The CH₂ signal in propane (blue) is observed as a heptet because it has six neighbouring equivalent H atoms (n+1 rule), three either side in two equivalent CH3 groups
• The CH3 groups (red) produce identical triplets by coupling with the CH₂ group