B-4 Chemical Shifts of Representative Carbons

The HMQC spectrum of podophyllotoxin shows heteronuclear crosspeaks for all 13 protonated carbons. Each cross-peak represents a one-bond correlation between the C nucleus and the attached proton. It also allows us to identify the pairs of geminally coupled protons, since both protons display cross-peaks with the same carbon. For instance, peaks A and B represent the one-bond correlations between protons at 8 4.10 and 4.50 with the carbon at 8 71.0 and thus represent a methylene group (C-15). Cross-peak D is due to the heteronuclear correlation between the C-4 proton at 8 4.70 and the carbon at 8 72.0, assignable to the oxygen-bearing benzylic C-4. Heteronuclear shift correlations between the aromatic protons and carbons are easily distinguishable as cross-peaks J-L, while I represents C/H interactions between the methylenedioxy protons (8 5.90) and the carbon at 8 101.5. The C-NMR and H-NMR chemical shift assignments based on the HMQC cross-peaks are summarized on the structure. 

Figure 15.1. (A) COSY, (B) TOCSY, (C) 1H-1T HSQC or HMQC, (D) dl- Y HMBC, for 4-oxopentanal. For clarity, only key assignments have been given as an example. Note that the double-ended arrows indicate how to interpret the spectra. In the case of COSY and TOCSY the information is represented as cross-peaks that are symmetrically oriented with respect to the central diagonal. In the single-bond correlation (HSQC/HMQC) a cross-peak represents in one dimension the carbon chemical shift and in the other dimension the proton chemical shift. Note there is no diagonal in heteronuclear NMR experiments. In the HMBC, lines are drawn vertically to connect the cross-peaks. In HMBC 2-4 bonds, H-13C correlations are often observed. Note that the 4-bond correlation is less common in NMR but has been included here as an example, and 1-bond correlation is commonly filtered from the HMBC experiment to improve detection limits for the weaker 2-4 bond correlations.

---