Stéphane Viel and Stefano Caldarelli, at the University of Aix-Marseille, France, used diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) to analyse mixtures of compounds. DOSY is a technique that discriminates between compounds according to their size and shape. The NMR spectrum of a complex mixture can be broken down into the spectra of its components, making structural assignment much easier. The best performance is achieved when the spectra are recorded at two or more different frequencies but this takes a number of hours to do. However, Viel developed a new method that allows the experiments to be completed in minutes. 

'This work is related to a series of studies that have been conducted in our, as well as other, research groups, with the aim of improving DOSY,' said Viel. 'Although a large amount of work must still be accomplished, it is believed that the present investigation will contribute to this global process and inspire future exciting developments.'