Exclusive correlation spectroscopy



Exclusive correlation spectroscopy (ECOSY) is an NMR correlation experiment introduced by O. W. Sørensen, Christian Griesinger, Richard R. Ernst and coworkers for the accurate measurement of small J-couplings.

The idea behind the experiment is to measure an unresolved coupling with the help of a larger coupling which is resolved in a dimension orthogonal to the small coupling. Three active nuclei are needed (SXI spin system) and the pulse sequence must be able to transfer magnetization from I to S without changing the spin state of X, otherwise the ECOSY pattern will vanish.

ECOSY experiment is often used to determine the relative signs of J-couplings and to distinguish between the active coupling (the one responsible for the cross-peak) and the passive couplings caused by observer spins.