Improving the Chemistry Curriculum with NMR Instrumentation

The curriculum of the chemistry major at the Institution has been improved in the area of instrumental chemical analysis by a significant expansion in the extent and scope of 'hands-on' student use of modern nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques in several required and elective laboratory courses. These improvements have been accomplished with the acquisition of a modern NMR spectrometer capable of performing multinuclear, variable temperature, and pulse programming experiments. Specific experiments for student utilization of the NMR spectrometer have been incorporated into the Experimental Organic Chemistry I & II, Instrumental Chemical Analysis, Experimental Physical Chemistry, and Experimental Inorganic Chemistry courses. These experiments, in a progressive way, move students through practical exposure to NMR beginning with simple 1D proton and carbon experiments and ending with applications of dynamic, multinuclear, and 2D NMR in the upper level courses. Providing 'hands-on' exposure to the many capabilities of NMR experiments has significantly improved the program for undergraduate chemistry majors at the institution along with other major chemical instrumentation in spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and chromatography. The institution contributed to the project in an amount equal to the NSF funds.