Using Cobalt NMR Spectroscopy To Analyze Compounds

What can you do with ⁵⁹Co?

Since many cobalt complexes are paramagnetic and because ⁵⁹Co is quadrupolar, not all cobalt compounds are amenable to NMR studies. However complexes of the diamagnetic Co3+ ion that possess a high level of tetrahedral or octahedral symmetry can easily be studied.

Did You Know?

Your cells rely on cobalt. Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, contains cobalt nuclei and is essential to human life. Modern life also depends on cobalt. It is likely found in your pocket, backpack, and perhaps car as part of the cathode of lithium batteries. The increasing demand for cobalt and difficulties mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo have led to mining expeditions on the deep seabeds of the Pacific Ocean.

The cobalt-59 nuclei also stands alone among all magnetically active nuclei. In fact, cobalt-59 has the largest range of chemical shifts of any nuclei, >18000 ppm or 1.8 %. Cobalt was also one of the fist nuclei studied which advanced the theory of chemical shift.

Since the cobalt-59 nuclei is so sensitive to chemical changes, changes to the first and second coordination spheres are readily apparent. Temperature variations and solvent effects also can significantly change the resonance frequency, thus care must be taken of experimental design.

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