Advanced Organic Chemistry: 13C NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropanal (CH3)2CHCHO

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Interpreting and explaining the C13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropanal (iso-butyraldehyde)

[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 2-methylpropanal (13C NMR spectra) [spectra page updated April 3rd 2026 *]

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Introductory note on the 13C NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropanal

Students and teachers please note that my explanation of the carbon-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropanal is designed for advanced, but pre-university, chemistry courses.

The description does not involve the chemical shift δ spin-spin coupling effects for 2-methylpropanal and the relative size of the carbon-13 NMR shifts does not give the ratio of the carbon atoms in the different non-equivalent chemical environments of the 2-methylpropanal molecule.

The most common solvent used for investigating the 13C NMR spectrum of compounds like 2-methylpropanal, is CDCl3 and other deuterated solvents.

13C nmr spectrum of 2-methylpropanal C4H8O (CH3)2CHCHO analysis of chemical shifts ppm interpretation of C-13 chemical shifts ppm of isobutyraldehyde C13 13-C nmr doc brown's advanced organic chemistry revision notes 

TMS is the acronym for tetramethylsilane, formula Si(CH3)4, whose 13C atoms are arbitrarily given a chemical shift of 0.0 ppm. This is the 'standard' in 13C NMR spectroscopy and all other 13C resonances, called chemical shifts, are measured with respect to the TMS, and depend on the individual (electronic) chemical environment of the 13C atoms in an organic molecule - 2-methylpropanal here.

2-methylpropanal   C4H8O   aldehydes and ketones nomenclature (c) doc b    aldehydes and ketones nomenclature (c) doc b    aldehydes and ketones nomenclature (c) doc b

The molecular structure and naming of aldehydes and ketones

Interpreting the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropanal

As you can see from the diagram above there are 3 different 13C chemical shift lines in the C-13 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropanal indicating 3 different chemical environments of the 4 carbon atoms of 2-methylpropanal.

(CH3)2CHCHO

(Note the 3 different colours indicating the 3 different chemical environments of the 4carbon atoms in 2-methylpropanal and in the ratio 2:1:1).

13C chemical shifts (a) to (c) on the C-13 NMR spectrum diagram for 2-methylpropanal.

(a) 15.5 ppm for the methyl group carbon atoms in 2-methylpropanal.

(b) 41.9 ppm for the CH group carbon atom in 2-methylpropanal.

(c) 204.9 ppm for the carbon atom of the aldehyde group in 2-methylpropanal.

Note the decreasing effect on the 13C chemical shift as the carbon atom is further from the more electronegative oxygen atom in 2-methylpropanal.

The carbon-13 NMR spectra provides direct evidence of ? different carbon atom environments for the ? carbon atoms in the 2-methylpropanal molecule, deduced from the presence of ? different 13C NMR chemical shifts (ppm).

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The chemistry of ALDEHYDES and KETONES revision notes INDEX

The infrared spectrum of 2-methylpropanal (methylpropanal, iso-butyraldehyde)

The mass spectrum of 2-methylpropanal (methylpropanal, iso-butyraldehyde)

The H-1 NMR spectrum of 2-methylpropanal (methylpropanal, iso-butyraldehyde)

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