Parameters and symbols for use in nuclear magnetic resonance (IUPAC recommendations 1997)

NMR is now frequently the technique of choice for the determination of chemical structure in solution. Its uses also span structure in solids and mobility at the molecular level in all phases. The research literature in the subject is vast and ever-increasing. Unfortunately, many articles do not contain sufficient information for experiments to be repeated elsewhere, and there are many variations in the usage of symbols for the same physical quantity. It is the aim of the present recommendations to provide simple check-lists that will enable such problems to be minimised in a way that is consistent with general IUPAC formulation. The area of medical NMR and imaging is not specifically addressed in these recommendations, which are principally aimed at the mainstream use of NMR by chemists (of all sub-disciplines) and by many physicists, biologists, materials scientists and geologists etc. working with NMR. The document presents recommended notation for use in journal publications involving a significant contribution of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The recommendations are in two parts: (1) Experimental parameters which should be listed so that the work in question can be repeated elsewhere. (2) A list of symbols (using Roman or Greek characters) to be used for quantities relevant to NMR.