Advanced Organic Chemistry: Carbon-13 NMR spectrum of propanamide CH₃CH₂CONH₂

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Interpreting the Carbon-13 NMR spectrum of propanamide (propionamide)

[Author © Dr Phil Brown PhD: Doc Brown's advanced level organic chemistry exam revision notes suitable for students of UK A level chemistry courses & US K12 grade 11, grade 12 and AP honors chemistry courses: Molecular spectroscopy analysis of propanamide [spectra page updated Mar 26th 2026 *]

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C-13 NMR spectroscopy - spectra index

Introductory note on the 13C NMR spectrum of propanamide

Students and teachers please note that my explanation of the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of propanamide is designed for advanced, but pre-university, chemistry courses.

The description does not involve the chemical shift δ spin-spin coupling effects for propanamide and the relative size of the carbon-13 NMR shifts does not give the ratio of the carbon atoms in the different non-equivalent chemical environments of the propanamide molecule.

The most common solvent used for investigating the C13 NMR spectrum of compounds like propanamide, is CDCl₃ and other deuterated solvents.

C-13 nmr spectrum of propanamide analysis of chemical shifts ppm interpretation of C-13 chemical shifts ppm of propionamide C13 13-C nmr doc brown's advanced organic chemistry revision notes

TMS is the acronym for tetramethylsilane, formula Si(CH₃)₄, whose ¹³C atoms are arbitrarily given a chemical shift of 0.0 ppm. This is the 'standard' in ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and all other ¹³C shifts, called chemical shifts, depend on the individual (electronic) chemical environment of the ¹³C atoms in an organic molecule - propanamide here.

propanamide (propionamide), C₃H₇NO, , ,

The molecular structure and naming of carboxylic acids and derivatives
The classification, structure and naming of organic nitrogen compounds

Interpreting the C-13 NMR spectrum of Propanamide

As you can see from the diagram above there are 3 different ¹³C chemical shift lines in the C-13 NMR spectrum of propanamide indicating 3 different chemical environments of the carbon atoms.

CH₃CH₂CONH₂

Note the 3 colours indicating the 3 different chemical environment of the carbon atoms in propanamide.

Note the decreasing effect on the chemical shift (a) to (c) as the carbon atom is further from the highly electronegative oxygen and nitrogen atoms of propanamide.

The 13C chemical shift for carbon atom (c) is much greater than the others because of the field effect of it being attached to two very electronegative oxygen atoms.

The carbon-13 NMR spectra a provides direct evidence of 3 different carbon atom environments in the propanamide molecule from 3 different chemical shifts (ppm).

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Website content © Dr Phil Brown 2000+. All copyrights reserved on revision notes, images, quizzes, worksheets etc. Copying of Doc Brown's pre-university advanced level chemistry website material is NOT permitted. Exam revision summaries & references to science course specifications are unofficial. These organic chemistry revision notes on spectroscopy (on the 13C NMR spectrum of propanal) are suitable for use of pre-university students studying AQA advanced level chemistry, Edexcel advanced level chemistry, OCR advanced level chemistry, IB advanced level chemistry, WJEC (Eduqas) advanced level chemistry, CIE advanced level chemistry, CCEA advanced level chemistry, US grade 11-12 AP honors chemistry courses and they will also prove useful to 1st year undergraduate students of chemistry.