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J Coupling

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Biophysics

Synonyms

Scalar coupling; Spin-spin coupling

Definition

J or scalar coupling between magnetic nuclei (otherwise termed nuclear spins) is coupling via the intervening network of chemical bonds and depends on interaction between the nuclear spins and bonding electron spins.

Introduction

J or scalar coupling occurs between magnetic nuclei that are chemically bonded to one another (Cavanagh et al. 2007; Hore 1995; Rule and Hitchens 2006). Scalar coupling is important because many NMR pulse sequences used to investigate molecular structure, dynamics, and interactions depend on scalar coupling for magnetization transfer between nuclear spins. Scalar coupling, moreover, allows delineation of the chemical connectivity and stereochemistry within a molecule, be it a small molecule or biological macromolecule; together with through-space dipolar coupling, therefore, through-bond scalar coupling forms the basis of resonance assignment and NMR determination of 3D structures of molecules. Here I...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Stefan Bagby

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  1. Stefan Bagby
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefan Bagby .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Gordon C. K. Roberts

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© 2013 European Biophysical Societies' Association (EBSA)

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Bagby, S. (2013). J Coupling. In: Roberts, G.C.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biophysics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16712-6_306

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