Enhancing the Chemistry Curriculum with FT-NMR Spectroscopy

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Chemistry (12)The Department of Chemistry at St. Mary's College of Maryland is developing a more learner-centered curriculum that is supported by appropriate pedagogical practices and technological tools. Inquiry-based laboratory experiences adapted from both the research and educational literature are viewed as an essential element of this effort. The department has purchased a 300 MHz FT-NMR spectrometer that is being used to support the departments on-going efforts to incorporate inquiry-based laboratory work into the chemistry curriculum. With access to the FT-NMR, additional experiments are enhancing courses where inquiry methods have already been introduced and are allowing the incorporation of inquiry activities into additional courses. The set of inquiry-based experiments in the General Chemistry courses are being modified to include an exploration of atomic structure using the FT-NMR. Inquiry activities using the FT-NMR are also being introduced in the organic, inorganic, and advanced spectroscopy courses. Students are incorporating the use of routine FT-NMR for the characterization of products synthesized in their laboratory work. In subsequent courses, they are using sophisticated techniques such as COSY, DEPT, HETCOR and pulse sequences. As a graduation requirement, all students are now required to complete a year-long student research project, the St. Mary's Project. The FT-NMR is especially useful to many students as they explore various aspects of chemical structure and reactivity.