Nuclear Magnetic

Resonance Spectrometry
The NMR Spectrometer
Principle of Operation of NMR

The principle behind NMR is that many nuclei have

spin and all nuclei are electrically charged. If an
external magnetic field is applied, an energy transfer
is possible between the base energy to a higher
energy level (generally a single energy gap). The
energy transfer takes place at a wavelength that
corresponds to radio frequencies and when the spin
returns to its base level, energy is emitted at the
same frequency. The signal that matches this transfer
is measured in many ways and processed in order to
yield an NMR spectrum for the nucleus concerned.
 Disadvantages of NMR
Sensitivity
- The signal that can be generated in the NMR experiment is small and, for
practical purposes, most strongly coupled with the concentration of the
nuclei in the sample.

Working in a High-Magnetic-Field Environment

- The presence of the magnetic field can affect equipment routinely used in
animal research.

Motion Sensitivity
- This sensitivity leads to signal distortions that are visually most evident in
artifacts on images or more subtly in quantitative measurements.
 Advantages of NMR

Noninvasiveness and Lack of Ionizing Radiation

- Biochemical (spectroscopy) and spatial information (imaging)
can be obtained without destroying the sample.

Flexibility
- The most attractive features of NMR techniques are the wide
range of biological processes that can be investigated using
these methods and the variety and versatility of the specific MR
techniques that can be applied.