NMR Solvents

What are NMR solvents?

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a crucial tool in chemical analysis and molecular structure determination. The accurate interpretation of NMR spectra heavily relies on the choice of suitable solvents, known as NMR solvents, which fulfill various criteria to obtain high-quality spectra and minimize undesirable effects.

Selection criteria for NMR solvents

Choosing the correct NMR solvent involves meticulous consideration of various factors. These include the chemical shift range and miscibility with the analyte, stability, volatility, purity, non-toxicity, and cost. Furthermore, solvent peak recognition is essential to distinguish the solvent signal from the sample signals, aiding in spectral analysis.

An ideal NMR solvent should have the following characteristics:

• Chemical Stability
  NMR solvents should be chemically stable, meaning they do not react with the samples or other reagents used in the experiment. This ensures that the solvent does not interfere with the NMR signals or alter the chemical nature of the sample.
• High Purity
  The purity of NMR solvents is preferably higher than 99.9% to ensure accurate and reliable NMR spectra. Impurities can interfere with the NMR signal and cause incorrect interpretation of spectra.
• Low Viscosity
  NMR solvents with low viscosity ensure good sample rotation and optimal data acquisition. High viscosity solvents can cause problems with sample homogeneity and can lead to NMR peak broadening.
• Good Solubility
  NMR solvents should have good solubility for a wide range of compounds. This allows for the analysis of different types of samples, including polar and non-polar compounds.
• Broad Chemical Shift Range
  NMR solvents should have a broad chemical shift range to cover a wide range of chemical species. This is important for accurately determining the chemical shifts of different nuclei in the sample.
• Stability Under NMR Conditions
  NMR solvents should be stable under the conditions of the NMR experiment, including temperature, magnetic field strength, and exposure to air and moisture. This ensures that the solvent remains unchanged throughout the experiment.
• Lack of Interfering Signals
  NMR solvents should not have any interfering NMR signals that overlap with the signals of interest in the sample. This can be achieved by using deuterated solvents, which do not give rise to NMR signals in the same frequency range as protons or other nuclei commonly analyzed in NMR experiments.
• Low Toxicity
  NMR solvents should have low toxicity to ensure the safety of the users. This is especially important since NMR solvents are often handled in large quantities and can come into contact with skin or be inhaled during experiments.

What can we offer?

As a professional supplier of stable isotope-labeled compounds, Alfa Chemistry supplies a series of high-quality NMR deuterated solvents. Common deuterated NMR solvents used for chemical analysis include deuterochloroform (CDCl₃), deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO-d₆), deuterated methanol (CD₃OD), and deuterated dichloromethane (CD₂Cl₂) are widely employed due to their high isotopic purity. Other commonly used NMR solvents include deuterated water (D₂O), which is mainly used for biomolecular NMR studies, and deuterated acetone (CD₃COCD₃), particularly useful in studies involving proteins.

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