Are DEPT techniques important for structural elucidation?

1 Answer
Mar 31, 2018

Yes Absolutely

Explanation:

The technique DEPT gives similar information to an 'Off-resonance decoupled spectra' (one bond #C-H# couplings are retained so the single for a particular #C# is given by the number of #H# bonded, #n+1# rule, eg. for a #-CH2-# we would see a triplet).
Without going to deep into the physics DEPT is performed by a sequence of pulses with different delay times to create a DEPT spectra. This would result in identification of #-CH_3# and #CH#, these would appear as a normal peak pointing upwards. And the #-CH_2-# group would appear as an inverted peak.
This would make it possible to figure out how many H there are bonded to C.
So DEPT would often be performed together with an 'Off-resonance decoupled spectra', making it easy to detect the different #C-H# groups.