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Chemistry LibreTexts

Chemical Shift

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The chemical shift (symbol: δ; units: ppm) of a nucleus (eg: 1H, 13C) in a molecule is a measure of how shielded (see shielded nucleus) or how deshielded (see deshielded nucleus) the nucleus is when the molecule is in an external magnetic field. The higher the chemical shift of a shielded nucleus, the less shielded the nucleus. The higher the chemical shift of a deshielded nucleus, the more deshielded the nucleus. Or, if two nuclei in the same molecule have different chemical shifts, the nucleus with the higher chemical shift is deshielded; the one with the lower chemical shift is shielded.

chemicalshift1.png

eg: methyl acetate (1)

chemicalshift2.png

The shift of Hb is higher than that of Ha, meaning Hb is less shielded than Ha, or Hb is deshielded and Ha shielded.

see also upfield, downfield


This page titled Chemical Shift is shared under a All Rights Reserved (used with permission) license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Gamini Gunawardena via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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