(a) Draw all six isomers of formula C₄H₈ (including stereoisomers).
(b) For each structure, show how many types of H would appear in the proton NMR spectrum.
(c) For each structure, show how many types of C would appear in the ¹³C NMR spectrum.
(d) If an unknown compound of formula C₄H₈ shows two types of H and three types of C, can you determine its structure from this information?

Different types of protons and carbons in alkanes tend to absorb at similar chemical shifts, making structure determination difficult. Explain how the ¹³C NMR spectrum, including the DEPT technique, would allow you to distinguish among the following four isomers.

Hexamethylbenzene undergoes free-radical chlorination to give one monochlorinated product (C₁₂H₁₇Cl) and four dichlorinated products (C₁₂H₁₆Cl₂). These products are easily separated by GC-MS, but the dichlorinated products are difficult to distinguish by their mass spectra. Draw the monochlorinated product and the four dichlorinated products, and explain how ¹³C NMR would easily distinguish among these compounds.

The three isomers of dimethylbenzene are commonly named ortho-xylene, meta-xylene, and para-xylene. These three isomers are difficult to distinguish using proton NMR, but they are instantly identifiable using ¹³C NMR.

(a) Describe how carbon NMR distinguishes these three isomers.

(b) Explain why they are difficult to distinguish using proton NMR.

Each of these four structures has molecular formula C₄H₈O₂. Match the structure with its characteristic proton NMR signals. (Not all of the signals are listed in each case.)

(a) sharp 1H singlet at δ8.0 and 2H triplet at δ4.0

(b) sharp 3H singlet at δ2.0 and 2H quartet at δ4.1

(c) sharp 3H singlet at δ3.7 and 2H quartet at δ2.3

(d) broad 1H singlet at δ11.5 and 2H triplet at δ2.3

When 2-chloro-2-methylbutane is treated with a variety of strong bases, the products always seem to contain two isomers (A and B) of formula C₅H₁₀. When sodium hydroxide is used as the base, isomer A predominates. When potassium tert-butoxide is used as the base, isomer B predominates. The ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of A and B are given below.

(a) Determine the structures of isomers A and B.

(b) Explain why A is the major product when using sodium hydroxide as the base and why B is the major product when using potassium tert-butoxide as the base.

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(A true story.) A major university was designated as a national nuclear magnetic resonance center by the National Science Foundation. Several large superconducting instruments were being installed when a government safety inspector appeared and demanded to know what provisions were being made to handle the nuclear waste produced by these instruments. Assume you are the manager of the NMR center, and offer an explanation that could be understood by a nonscientist.