NMR Spectroscopy Used for Visualizing Oxygen Molecules

Until now, scientists were only able to use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study three out of the four elements [H, C, N, O] in the molecule puzzle because oxygen wavelengths were difficult to detect. Now, scientists in Canada are using NMR spectroscopy to identify oxygen's wavelength.

"Oxygen signals were so weak, so to speak, that no one could make use of them,” said chemistry professor Dr. Gang Wu. "Now there is a way of detecting them even in complex biomolecular systems.”

Dr. Wu and his colleagues employed one of the strongest NMR spectrometers in the world, located at the National Ultrahigh-Field NMR Facility for Solids (Ottawa, Canada) to create a magnetic field in which oxygen's wavelength could be detected. They also enriched the oxygen in the molecule using isotope enrichment, and implemented new NMR techniques to boost the sensitivity for detecting weak signals.

The result is an amplified oxygen wavelength that can be studied. Scientists can now examine all four major elements and learn more about the chemical structure and interaction of large molecules.

The study's findings were published November 2, 2010, in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Related Links:
National Ultrahigh-Field NMR Facility for Solids