Two-dimensional J-spectra with absorption-mode lineshapes

Two-dimensional J-spectroscopy offers the possibility of a complete separation of chemical shifts and J-couplings. However, the usefulness of the experiment is considerably reduced by the fact that peaks in the spectra have the phase-twist lineshape. We present a simple new spectroscopic method for recording J-spectra in which the peaks are both in the absorption mode and retain their natural intensities, albeit at the cost of a considerable reduction in the signal-to-noise ratio. No special data-processing is required. The method is tested on quinine, and the steroid dehydroisoandrosterone. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.