SOLVENT AND CONCENTRATION-DEPENDENCE OF THE HYDROXYL CHEMICAL-SHIFT OF METHANOL

Proton NMR chemical shift measurements of the hydroxyl proton in metha nol were made as a function of concentration in six solvents: carbon t etrachloride, benzene, chloroform, acetonitrile, acetone and dimethyl sulphoxide. The hydroxyl proton peak shifts by approximately 5 ppm in carbon tetrachloride and benzene, and by lesser amounts in the other s olvents. This behaviour is due to hydrogen bonding interactions of the methanol with other methanol molecules or with the solvent, and is co rrelated with nb initio estimates of solute-solvent hydrogen bond ener gies.