Homotopic

Definition

In the context of 1H NMR spectroscopy and proton equivalence, homotopic protons are those that can be interchanged by a symmetry operation without changing the molecule's overall spatial arrangement. These protons have identical chemical environments and therefore exhibit identical chemical shifts in NMR spectroscopy.

Related terms

Chemical Shift:

The resonant frequency of a nucleus relative to a standard in an NMR spectrum; it indicates the electronic environment of the nucleus.

Symmetry Operation: A movement applied to an object that results in an indistinguishable configuration, used to determine molecular symmetry and equivalences.

Proton Equivalence:

A concept where protons are considered equivalent if they have identical magnetic environments, leading to them giving rise to identical signals in NMR spectroscopy