Advanced Organic Chemistry: 13C NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane (CH3)3CH

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Interpreting and explaining the Carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane (isobutane)

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

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See also comparing the IR, mass, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra of 2-methylpropane and butane

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

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

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

The most common solvent used for investigating the 13C NMR spectrum of compounds like 2-methylpropane, is CDCl3 and other deuterated solvents.

13C nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropane C4H10 (CH3)3CH analysis of chemical shifts ppm interpretation of C-13 chemical shifts ppm of isobutane 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-methylpropane here.

2-methylpropane  C4H10  alkanes structure and naming (c) doc b   alkanes structure and naming (c) doc b   alkanes structure and naming (c) doc b 

For more see The molecular structure, classification and naming of alkanes

Interpreting the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane

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

CH3CH(CH3)CH3  or  (CH3)3CH

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

13C chemical shifts (a) to (b) on the C-13 NMR spectrum diagram for 2-methylpropane.

There are only two possible chemical environments of the carbon atoms because of the symmetry of the 2-methylpropane molecule.

Three of the carbon atoms (of the methyl groups) have the same chemical environment and so have the same 13C chemical shift.

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

See also comparing the IR, mass, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra of 2-methylpropane and butane
Comparing the infrared, mass, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra of the 2 alkane isomers of C4H10

NOTE: The images are linked to their original detailed spectral analysis pages AND can be doubled in size with touch screens to increase the definition to the original butane and 2-methylpropane image sizes.

The infrared spectra of butane and 2-methyl propane are quite similar, mainly due to C-H stretching and deformation vibrations, but you can see significant differences in the fingerprint region at wavenumbers 1500 to 600 cm-1.

The mass spectra of butane and 2-methyl propane are quite similar and both have a base ion peak of m/z 43 [C3H7]+, but here significant differences in the ratios of the m/z ions 27 to 29 [C2H3,4,5]+.

The 1H NMR spectra of butane and 2-methyl propane are quite similar in that both show the 8 hydrogen atoms exist in only 2 different chemical environment. However, they can be distinguished from each other by the different integrated proton ratios. Butane gives a (2) : (3) proton ratio and 2-methylbutane a (1) : (9) proton ratio.

The 13C NMR spectra of butane and 2-methyl propane are quite similar in that both show the 4 carbon atoms exist in only 2 different chemical environments. I'm not sure how reliable the pair of 13C chemical shifts for 2-methylpropane are, which seem surprisingly close together? The other pair are reliable.

Key words & phrases: C4H10 (CH3)3CH Interpreting the C-13 NMR spectra of 2-methylpropane, C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropane, understanding the carbon-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropane, explaining the line pattern in the high resolution C-13 nmr spectra of 2-methylpropane, revising the C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropane, ppm chemical shifts of the C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropane, how to construct the diagram of the C-13 nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropane, how to analyse the chemical shifts in the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane deducing the chemical environment of all the carbon atoms in 2-methylpropane examining the c13 nmr spectrum of  2-methylpropane analysing the 13-c nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropane how do you sketch and interpret the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane interpreting interpretation of the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane assignment of chemical shifts in the 13C NMR spectrum of methylpropane isobutane CH(CH3)3 Molecular structure diagram of the carbon-13 NMR diagram for the 13C NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane. Deducing the number of different chemical environments of the carbon atoms in the 2-methylpropane molecule from the 13C chemical shifts in the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane. Revision notes on the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane. Matching and deducing the structure of the 2-methylpropane molecule from its 13C NMR spectrum. Carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy of  aliphatic alkanes, 13C NMR spectra of 2-methylpropane, a structural isomer of molecular formula C4H10 How do you interpret the chemical shifts of the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane How to interpret the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane Explanatory diagram of the 13C C-13 carbon-13 NMR spectrum of the  number of different carbon atom environments in the 2-methylpropane molecule from its carbon-13 NMR spectrum to help work out the molecular structure of the 2-methylpropane molecule? The uses and distinctive features of the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of the 2-methylpropane 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-methylpropane molecule? explaining the decoupled carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane  with a detailed interpretation diagram of all the C-13 chemical shifts and intensities

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The chemistry of ALKANES revision notes INDEX

The infrared spectrum of 2-methylpropane (methylpropane, isobutane)

The mass spectrum of 2-methylpropane (methylpropane, isobutane)

The H-1 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropane (methylpropane, isobutane)

C-13 NMR spectroscopy index

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