The role of NMR

NMR is the most widely used technique (other techniques are useful) for studying fluxional molecules. In NMR studies we are dealing with frequencies using the situations given below we can see how fluxionality is observed. Situation 1- If no interconversion, get 2 signals from isomers, separation of peaks, D. Situation 2- If there is rapid interconversion and the frequency, f, of interconversion is large with respect to D, get 1 signal at f/2. One way of detecting fluxionality is to vary the temperature, which results in the observed spectrum changing from situation 1 to situation 2. To further understand this process it is necessary to consider an example.