Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Monitoring reactions

Nuclear magnetic resonance monitoring of the synthesis of amphiphilic copolymers has also been reported by Larazz et al. [174] for the copolymerization of a methacrylic macromonomer with amphiphilic character derived from Triton X-100 (MT) with acrylic acid (AA). In situ H NMR analysis was used to monitor comonomer consumption throughout the copolymerization reactions, initiated by AIBN in deuterated dioxane, at 60 °C. The results from two different approaches used by the authors to estimate the reactivity ratio of the macromonomer indicate that AA is less reactive than the macromonomer MT and a model monomer with lower molecular weight but same structure, suggesting that methacrylic double bond reactivity was not affected by poly(oxyethylene oxide) chain length. 

Some preliminary laboratory work is in order, if the information is not otherwise known. First, we ask what the time scale of the reaction is surely our approach will be different if the reaction reaches completion in 10 ms, 10 s, 10 min, or 10 h. Then, one must consider what quantitative analytical techniques can be used to monitor it progress. Sometimes individual samples, either withdrawn aliquots or individual ampoules, are taken. More often a nondestructive analysis is performed, the progress of the reaction being monitored continuously or intermittently by a technique such as ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry or nuclear magnetic resonance. The fact that both reactants and products might contribute to the instrument reading will not prove to be a problem, as explained in the next chapter. 

It is particularly important to study process phenomena under dynamic (rather than static) conditions. Most current analytical techniques are designed to determine the initial and final states of a material or process. Instmments must be designed for the analysis of materials processing in real time, so that the cmcial chemical reactions in materials synthesis and processing can be monitored as they occur. Recent advances in nuclear magnetic resonance and laser probes indicate valuable lines of development for new techniques and comparable instmmentation for the study of interfaces, complex hquids, microstmctures, and hierarchical assemblies of materials. Instmmentation needs for the study of microstmctured materials are discussed in Chapter 9. 

Online detection using 4H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a detection mode that has become increasingly practical. In a recent application, cell culture supernatant was monitored on-line with 1-dimensional NMR for trehalose, P-D-pyranose, P-D-furanose, succinate, acetate and uridine.33 In stopped-flow mode, column fractions can also be analyzed by 2-D NMR. Reaction products of the preparation of the neuromuscular blocking compound atracurium besylate were separated on chiral HPLC and detected by 4H NMR.34 Ten isomeric peaks were separated on a cellulose-based phase and identified by online NMR in stopped-flow mode. 

Monitoring reaction progress throughout a multistep synthesis is a relatively difficult task.22 Typical methods used for solution-phase synthesis, including thin-layer chromatography (TLC), GC, and most types of mass spectrometry (MS), are less informative for solid-phase methods. However, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are particularly useful in solid-phase strategies. 

Having introduced the correlation of Fig. 1, we may return to the stabilities of alkyl cations. Rate constants for the hydration of secondary and primary alkenes have been measured in concentrated solutions of aqueous sulfuric acid by Lucchini and Modena97 and by Tidwell and Kresge42 using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or UV to monitor progress of the reactions. It is conceivable that the reactions involve a concerted addition of a proton and water molecule to the alkenyl double bonds. However, the very weak basicity of water under the conditions of reaction makes this unlikely, and the steep acidity dependences of the reactions (e.g., m =-1.65) is... 

Although the determination of HA or HB selectivity is relatively straightforward the techniques for isolation of pyridine nucleotides from the reaction mixtures are tedious and time consuming. Two more recent techniques use either proton magnetic resonance or electron impact and field desorption mass spectrometry. The technique of Kaplan and colleagues requires a 220 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer interfaced with a Fourier transform system [104], It allows the elimination of extensive purification of the pyridine nucleotide, is able to monitor the precise oxidoreduction site at position 4, can be used with crude extracts, and can be scaled down to /nmole quantities of coenzyme. The method can distinguish between [4-2H]NAD+ (no resonance at 8.95 8) and NAD+ (resonance at 8.95—which is preferred) or between [4A-2H]NADH (resonance at 2.67 8, 75 4B = 3.8 Hz) and [4B-2H]NADH (resonance at 2.77 8, J5 4A = 3.1 Hz). 

In many cases it is necessary to monitor closely the progress of a small scale reaction by methods other than tic one very useful alternative is nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr). With larger scale reactions this is simply done by removing an aliquot of the reaction mixture and recording its nmr spectrum. Obviously this approach cannot be applied to reactions involving relatively small quantities of material. The answer is to carry out the reaction in an nmr tube. Both 5mm and lOmm diameter nmr tubes can conveniently be used as reaction vessels (Fig. 12.5) in the same way as test-tubes were employed in Section 12.2, but without magnetic stirrer bars. 

Betso, J.E., Carreon, R.E. and Miner, V.M. (1991) The use of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry ( H NMR) for monitoring the reaction of epoxides with butylamine and predictive capabilities of the relative alkylation index (RAI) for skin sensitization by epoxides. Toxicol. Appl. Pharm., 108, 483—488. 

A separate section will be devoted to covering the monitoring of reaction progress at high pressure by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Although there have been no reports to date, in principle for sufficiently slow reactions aliquot samples from a piston-cylinder apparatus could be followed by NMR spectroscopy however, such a procedure would not be viable because of the large solution volumes required if deuterated solvents were to be used. 

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