Abstract

Fluorine 19F is one of few 'lucky' elements found in living organisms, whose nucleus is characterised by non-zero spin, which makes it possible to detect fluorine and to analyse (and image) its chemical compounds with the help of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Fluorine 19F spectroscopy is not as popular as that of hydrogen 1H or phosphorus 31P, however, this method has recently been developed and applied (in medicine, too) more and more frequently, despite technical problems. This paper is a brief introduction to the techniques of investigating fluorine 19F with NMR spectroscopy, providing insight into the peculiarities and the difficulties associated with this method. It is also a short review of the achievements in NMR fluorine investigations in the fields of biology and medicine.

Keywords: Fluorine, spectroscopy