Spins in Short-Lived Molecules: The Unique Glimpse provided by NMR Spectroscopy into Reaction Intermediates

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), this chemical analytical tool continues to find new creative applications not only as a result of instrumental advances but also owing to the inherent non-invasiveness of the technique, allowing considerable flexibility in the choice and configuration of samples. This is especially evident in the field of catalysis where modern NMR has had an important impact in revealing the progress of a catalytic reaction in subtle details, especially providing structural and dynamic information of the fleeting reaction intermediates.