NMR Solvents

Deuterated NMR Solvents

NMR experiments are usually conducted using deuterated solvents with tetramethylsilane (TMS) serving as a reference standard. In deuterated solvents, the protons are replaced with deuterium, which exhibits significantly lower resolution in the NMR spectrum. Thus, deuterated solvents do not generate NMR signals in the same spectral region as the analyte. This characteristic enables better resolution and interpretation of the spectrum.

The use of deuterated solvents in NMR spectroscopy is essential to prevent interference from the solvent’s own signals. Deuterated solvents contain deuterium atoms rather than hydrogen atoms. As deuterium has a different nuclear spin (spin-1) in comparison to hydrogen (spin-1/2), the signals originating from deuterated solvents appear in a separate region of the NMR spectrum, known as the solvent peak or the lock peak.

Deuterated Chloroform (CDCl₃)

CDCl₃ is the most commonly used solvent in proton NMR due to its ability to dissolve many organic compounds and its ease of recovery through simple evaporation after analysis. Its chemical shift is typically observed around 7.26 ppm when referenced to tetramethylsilane (TMS) as the internal standard.

Deuterated Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO-d₆)

DMSO-d₆ is used as an NMR solvent for peptides, proteins, carbohydrates (including monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and complex polysaccharides), nucleic acids, lipids, and other metabolites. Its chemical shift is typically observed around 2.5 ppm.

Deuterated Methanol (CD₃OD)

Deuterated methanol with various levels of deuteration is used in NMR spectroscopy, depending on the specific requirements of the experiment.

Deuterated Water (D₂O)

Deuterated water is particularly useful in NMR experiments when examining proton exchange or kinetic processes that involve hydrogen atoms within the sample.

Deuterated Acetone (Acetone-D₆)

Deuterated acetone is suitable for both proton (¹H) and carbon (¹³C) NMR spectroscopy. It offers distinct resonances for proton and carbon nuclei, enabling the analysis of chemical shifts and coupling patterns of different functional groups within organic molecules.

Tetrahydrofuran-d₈ (THF-d₈)

Deuterated tetrahydrofuran is commonly used as an NMR solvent for samples that are sensitive to residual protons present in deuterated solvents.