Advanced Organic Chemistry: 13C NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane CH3CH(OCH3)CH3

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Interpreting and explaining the Carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane

[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 2-methoxypropane (13C NMR spectra) [spectra page updated April 3rd 2026 *]

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Introductory note on the 13C NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane

Students and teachers please note that my explanation of the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane is designed for advanced, but pre-university, chemistry courses.

The description does not involve the chemical shift δ spin-spin coupling effects for 2-methoxypropane 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 2-methoxypropane molecule.

The most common solvent used for investigating the C13 NMR spectrum of compounds like 2-methoxypropane, is CDCl3 and other deuterated solvents.

13C nmr spectrum of 2-methoxypropane C4H10O CH3CH(OCH3)CH3 analysis of chemical shifts ppm interpretation of C-13 chemical shifts ppm of methyl isopropyl ether 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 resonances, called chemical shifts, are measured with respect to the TMS, and depend on the individual (electronic) chemical environment of the 13C atoms in an organic molecule - 2-methoxypropane here.

2-methoxypropane    C4H10    alcohols and ether structure and naming (c) doc b    alcohols and ether structure and naming (c) doc b    alcohols and ether structure and naming (c) doc b

The molecular structure and naming of aliphatic alcohols and isomeric ethers

Interpreting the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane

As you can see from the diagram above there are 3 different 13C chemical shift lines in the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane indicating 3 different chemical environments of the 4 carbon atoms of 2-methoxypropane.

CH3CH(OCH3)CH3  or  (CH3)2CHOCH3

(Note the 3 different colours indicating the 3 different chemical environments of the 4 carbon atoms in 2-methoxypropane).

13C chemical shifts (a) 19.0 ppm, (b) 69.0 ppm and (c) 30.5 ppm on the C-13 NMR spectrum diagram for 2-methoxypropane.

Due to the symmetry of the molecule, the carbon atoms of the methyl groups directly attached to the CH group are equivalent to each other (shown in blue in the formula).

Note the decreasing effect on the 13C chemical shift as the carbon atom is further from the more electronegative oxygen atom in 2-methoxypropane.

The carbon-13 NMR spectra provides direct evidence of 3 different carbon atom environments for the 4 carbon atoms in the 2-methoxypropane molecule, deduced from the presence of 3 different 13C NMR chemical shifts (ppm).


Key words & phrases: C4H10O CH3CH(OCH3)CH3 Interpreting the C-13 NMR spectra of 2-methoxypropane, C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methoxypropane, understanding the carbon-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methoxypropane, explaining the line pattern in the high resolution C-13 nmr spectra of 2-methoxypropane, revising the C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methoxypropane, ppm chemical shifts of the C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methoxypropane, how to construct the diagram of the C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methoxypropane, how to analyse the chemical shifts in the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane deducing the chemical environment of all the carbon atoms in 2-methoxypropane examining the c13 nmr spectrum of  2-methoxypropane analysing the 13-c nmr spectrum of 2-methoxypropane how do you sketch and interpret the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane interpreting interpretation of the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane assignment of chemical shifts in the 13C NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane (CH3)2CHOCH3 methyl isopropyl ether How do you interpret the chemical shifts of the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane How to interpret the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane Explanatory diagram of the 13C C-13 carbon-13 NMR spectrum of the  number of different carbon atom environments in the 2-methoxypropane molecule from its carbon-13 NMR spectrum to help work out the molecular structure of the 2-methoxypropane molecule? The uses and distinctive features of the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of the 2-methoxypropane molecule explained. What do the number and values of the chemical shifts from the c-13 carbon-13 NMR spectrum tell us about the 2-methoxypropane molecule? explaining the decoupled carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane  with a detailed interpretation diagram of all the C-13 chemical shifts and intensities


Links associated with 2-methoxypropane

The infrared spectrum of 2-methoxypropane (methyl isopropyl ether)

The mass spectrum of 2-methoxypropane (methyl isopropyl ether)

The H-1 NMR spectrum of 2-methoxypropane (methyl isopropyl ether)

C-13 NMR spectroscopy index

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