Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has become an extremely familiar analytical tool in chemistry and biochemistry laboratories. Even researchers with little exposure to the technique recognize that NMR can provide a great deal of information about everything from the acetone content of a poorly prepared undergraduate chemistry lab sample to the structure and dynamics of complex biomolecules. In recent years the analytical potential of NMR has expanded, offering researchers a growing arsenal of experiments for both solution and solid state applications. Most recently, NMR has entered the arena of high-throughput screening, providing new methods for drug discovery and structural genomics research.
For a technique that offers such complex information, the basic principles behind NMR are straightforward. The nuclei of certain atoms, for example, 1H, 13C, and 15N, exhibit a physical property known as spin. These nuclei can be viewed as tiny magnets that, when placed in an external magnetic field, ...
