Advanced Organic Chemistry: H-1 NMR spectrum of propanamide CH3CH2CONH2

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Interpreting the H-1 (proton) NMR spectrum of propanamide (propionamide)

[Author © Dr Phil Brown PhD: Doc Brown's advanced level organic chemistry exam revision notes suitable for students of UK A level chemistry courses & US K12 grade 11, grade 12 and AP honors chemistry courses: Molecular spectroscopy analysis of propanamide [spectra page updated Mar 26th 2026 *]

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 H-1 proton NMR spectroscopy - spectra index

Introductory note on the 1H NMR spectra of propanamide

Students and teachers please note my explanation of the proton NMR spectrum of propanamide is designed for advanced, but pre-university, chemistry courses.

The chemical shift δ splitting pattern effects for propanamide are confined to a proton spin-spin coupling effects analysed using the n+1 rule for adjacent non-equivalent proton fields (n is the number of neighbouring protons in a non-equivalent different chemical environment for the propanamide molecule).

It is assumed that the integrated intensities of the 1H NMR δ chemical shifts give the ratio of the protons in the different non-equivalent chemical environments of the propanamide molecule.

The most common solvent used for investigating the 1H NMR spectrum of compounds like propanamide, is CDCl3 and other deuterated solvents to avoid confusion with a 1H NMR signal, 2D (2H) has a different NMR chemical shift.

low and high resolution H-1 proton nmr spectrum of propanamide analysis interpretation of chemical shifts ppm spin spin line splitting diagram propionamide H1 1-H nmr doc brown's advanced organic chemistry revision notes

TMS is the acronym for tetramethylsilane, formula Si(CH3)4, whose protons are arbitrarily given a chemical shift of 0.0 ppm. This is the 'standard' in 1H NMR spectroscopy and all other proton shifts, called chemical shifts, depend on the individual (electronic) chemical environment of the hydrogen atoms in an organic molecule - propanamide here.

The chemical shifts quoted in ppm on the diagram of the H-1 NMR spectrum of propanamide represent the peaks of the intensity of the chemical shifts of (which are often groups of split lines at high resolution) AND the relative integrated areas under the peaks gives you the ratio of protons in the different chemical environments of the propanamide molecule.

propanamide (propionamide), C3H7NO, (c) doc b, (c) doc b, (c) doc b

The molecular structure and naming of carboxylic acids and derivatives

The classification, structure and naming of organic nitrogen compounds

Interpreting the H-1 NMR spectrum of propanamide

For relatively simple molecules, the low resolution H-1 NMR spectrum of propanamide is a good starting point.

The hydrogen atoms (protons) of propanamide occupy 3 different chemical environments so that the low resolution NMR spectra should show three 1H peaks of different H-1 NMR chemical shifts (diagram above for propanamide).

CH3CH2CONH2

Note the ratio 3:2:2 of the three colours of the protons in the three chemically different environments

Although there are 7 hydrogen atoms in the molecule, there only 3 possible chemical environments for the hydrogen atoms in propanamide molecule.

The integrated proton ratio of 3:2:2 observed, corresponds with the structural formula of propanamide.

The high resolution spectrum of propanamide

So, using the chemical shifts and applying the n+1 rule to propanamide

(a) At 1.15 ppm the methyl proton resonance is split into a 1:2:1 triplet by the CH2 protons (n+1 = 3).

Evidence for the presence of a CH2 group in the molecule of propanamide

(b) At 2.24 ppm the CH2 proton resonance is split into a 1:3:3:1 quartet by the CH3 protons (n+3 = 4).

Evidence for the presence of a CH3 group in the molecule of propanamide.

(c) At 6.20 ppm there is a broad 'singlet' resonance band from the protons of the amino group.

It is it broadened due to the effect of hydrogen bonding interactions i.e.

(i) The –NH2 group i.e.  δ–N–Hδ llllδ–:N–Hδ+ as well as the hydrogen bonding due to (ii) δ+C=O:δ–llllδ+H–Nδ– interactions

It appears as a singlet resonance because there is no proton on the adjacent atom to cause a field splitting effect.

The splitting pattern from proton spin-spin coupling effects is analysed using the n+1 rule for adjacent non-equivalent proton fields (n is the number of neighbouring protons in a non-equivalent different chemical environment) and applied to the 1H NMR spectrum of propanamide.
Number of protons 1H causing splitting Splitting pattern produced from the n+1 rule and the theoretical ratio of line intensities
0 means no splitting             1            
1 creates a doublet           1   1          
2 creates a triplet         1   2   1        
3 creates a quartet       1   3   3   1      
4 creates a quintet     1   4   6   4   1    
5 creates a sextet   1   5   10   10   5   1  
6 creates a septet 1   6   15   20   15   6   1

Key words & phrases: Interpreting the proton H-1 NMR spectra of propanamide, low resolution & high resolution proton nmr spectra of propanamide, H-1 nmr spectrum of propanamide, understanding the hydrogen-1 nmr spectrum of propanamide, explaining the line splitting patterns in the high resolution H-1 nmr spectra of propanamide, revising the H-1 nmr spectrum of propanamide, proton nmr of propanamide, ppm chemical shifts of the H-1 nmr spectrum of propanamide, explaining and analyzing spin spin line splitting in the H-1 nmr spectrum, how to construct the diagram of the H-1 nmr spectrum of propanamide, how to work out the number of chemically different protons in the structure of the propanamide organic molecule, how to analyse the chemical shifts in the hydrogen-1 H-1 proton NMR spectrum of propanamide using the n+1 rule to explain the spin - spin coupling ine splitting in the proton nmr spectrum of propanamide deducing the nature of the protons from the chemical shifts ppm in the H-1 nmr spectrum of propanamide examining the 1H nmr spectrum of  propanamide analysing the 1-H nmr spectrum of propanamide the H-1 nmr spectrum of propionamide How do you interpret the H-1 NMR spectrum of propanamide How to interpret the H-1 NMR spectrum of propanamide Explanatory diagram of the chemical shifts of the 1H H-1 proton NMR spectrum of the propanamide molecule in terms of its molecular structure. Listing data of all the chemical shift peaks in ppm in the proton NMR spectrum of propanamide. How to explain the H-1 NMR spectrum of propanamide. The chemical shifts and  integrated values of the proton ratios in the 1-H NMR spectrum of the propanamide molecule. How to work out the molecular structure of the propanamide molecule from its proton NMR spectrum. The uses and distinctive features of the proton NMR spectrum of the propanamide molecule explained. What does the H-1 proton NMR spectrum chemical shifts tell us about the structure and properties of the propanamide molecule? explaining the spin-spin proton coupling effects in the 1H NMR spectrum of propanamide. interpretation diagram explaining the proton splitting pattern produced from the n+1 rule and the theoretical ratio of chemical shift δ and values of intensities for the proton NMR spectrum lines of propanamide

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The chemistry of CARBOXYLIC ACIDS and DERIVATIVES revision notes INDEX

H-1 proton NMR spectroscopy index  (Please read 8 points at the top of the 1H NMR index page)

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Website content © Dr Phil Brown 2000+. All copyrights reserved on revision notes, images, quizzes, worksheets etc. Copying of Doc Brown's pre-university advanced level chemistry website material is NOT permitted. Exam revision summaries & references to science course specifications are unofficial. These organic chemistry revision notes on spectroscopy (on the 1H NMR spectrum of propanal) are suitable for use of pre-university students studying AQA advanced level chemistry, Edexcel advanced level chemistry, OCR advanced level chemistry, IB advanced level chemistry, WJEC (Eduqas) advanced level chemistry, CIE advanced level chemistry, CCEA advanced level chemistry, US grade 11-12 AP honors chemistry courses and they will also prove useful to 1st year undergraduate students of chemistry.

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