Pulsed field gradients: a new tool for routine NMR

A complete review of 1D and 2D gradient-based NMR experiments published since 1990 is provided. The ease of implementation and the excellent and reproducible results obtained from such experiments offer a powerful tool for the study of molecular structures and dynamics. Thus, when sufficient sample concentration is available, ultra-clean spectra are obtained in very short acquisition times, making the experiments suitable for automated data acquisition. For these reasons, the concept of routine NMR work for chemists has been dramatically changed in the last few years and, with the correct choice of the experiments to be performed, a large number of chemical questions can be resolved in considerably reduced times. However, sensitivity and resolution are dependent on where the PFGs are incorporated into the pulse sequences and, therefore, these two important factors need to be considered in highly demanding applications. Illustrative examples of the most interesting applications to typical organic compounds are given.