Short Course in NMR Spectroscopy

The course, given by Professor Geoffrey Hawkes from Queen Mary, University of London, is directed at Honours students of the university of Zululand.

The course first aims introduce the basic principles of Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, which are commonly used in most chemical research environments. 

The second aim is to give a strategy for the structural assignment of small molecules using a combined spectroscopic approach.

The teaching programme will comprise 10 x 1 hour lectures, 4 x 1½ hour workshops, and practical demonstration of NMR spectrometer(s).

• Day 1 Basic theory of nuclear magnetic resonance; Zeeman effect, sensitivity, and introduction to relaxation
• Day 2 The chemical shift and spin-spin coupling
• Day 3 The pulse-Fourier transform method for measuring NMR spectra
• Day 4 Pulse sequences, DEPT spectra, and examples of 2-dimensional NMR spectra
• Day 5 Comparison with Fourier transform methodology in infra-red spectroscopy and in mass spectrometry
• Day 6 Visit to the Department of Chemistry, Pietermaritzburg campus, University of KwaZulu Natal for demonstration of NMR spectrometers.     

In parallel with the above undergraduate teaching there will be discussions with postgraduate students from the research group of Professor Revaprasadu. 

These discussions will focus on how solid state NMR spectroscopy may contribute to the characterisation of functionalised nanoparticulate materials prepared in Professor Revaprasadu’s laboratories. Samples will afterwards be selected for solid state NMR measurement in London.