Title: residual dipolar coupling
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - residual dipolar coupling
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.08407
Status: current

Definition
Dipolar coupling, but of a reduced magnitude to that seen in solids, observed in a liquid sample between spins in a molecule where there is incomplete averaging of spatially anisotropic dipolar couplings.

Notes
1) RDC is typically achieved through partial alignment of molecules in the liquid state through spatially aligned gels or liquids.
2) RDC is used to provide 3D structural information on molecules.

Related Terms
- Dipolar coupling: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08330
- anisotropic: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/08223

Source
- PAC, 2021, 93, 647. 'Glossary of methods and terms used in analytical spectroscopy (IUPAC Recommendations 2019)' on page 703 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0203)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/08407/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/08407/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/08407/xml

Citation: Citation: 'residual dipolar coupling' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.08407
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-06-10T17:19:12+00:00