What to send with a synthesis enquiry
Six details that let us answer you in the first reply.
NMR and GC-MS: two checks that answer two different questions
When we make a molecule, we check it twice. NMR answers whether it is the right molecule; GC-MS measures how much of it is there.
Structure
What NMR tells you
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) looks at how the atoms in a molecule are arranged. In a proton (¹H) spectrum, each kind of hydrogen atom gives a signal at its own position, called the chemical shift and measured in ppm. The pattern of signals works like a fingerprint of the structure.
We compare that pattern with the structure we set out to make. If they match, the compound in the flask is the one intended.
Content
What GC-MS tells you
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) separates the components of a sample as they travel through a long, thin column; each component reaches the mass spectrometer at its own time, which helps identify it. The size of each signal reflects how much of that component there is.
That is how GC-MS measures the content of the molecule, so the amount is measured rather than assumed. GC-MS suits compounds that can be turned into vapour without breaking down; if a sample needs a different approach, we say so.
Together
Why one check is not enough
A sample can have the right structure and still contain other substances, and a sample can be mostly one compound that is not the one you wanted. Structure and content are different questions, so we answer them with two instruments.
Together the two checks stand behind what we state: above 99% purity in every batch.
For your project
What this means when you work with us
- Molecules we make
Every molecule we make is verified: structure by NMR and, where the molecule suits it, content by GC-MS.
- Samples you send
You can send us a sample of your own to be checked. Tell us what it is and what you need to know: get a sample verified.
- Where to read more
How we check our own production is on technology and quality.
Contact
Have a molecule you need made?
Tell us the molecule and what it must do. We give you a plain answer before any work starts.
