Caveat Regarding the Use of Substituent Parameters in Statistical Analyses of Molecular Properties. II. Case Study : ¹³ N.M.R. of 2-Substituted Pyridines and Monosubstituted Benzenes

Abstract

Carbon-13 n.m.r. substituent chemical shifts of equivalent positions on monosubstituted benzenes and 2-substituted pyridines are analysed by multiple linear regression on combinations of a field, resonance, electronegativity and three polarizability parameters. The ortho and meta positions of the 2-pyridine and benzene series are poorly described by σF and σR parameters, but a much improved fit is obtained when σ_x and/or a bond polarizability parameter σ α,(C-X) are included. The mechanism of shift formation differs markedly between the two systems when the C2, C4 and C6 positions on pyridine are compared with the geometrically equivalent positions on benzenes. Owing to the high degree of interdependence between the four substituent effects, quantitative analysis proved to be impossible. However, use of subsets of substituents with three of the four parameters approximately orthogonal enabled the mechanism to be deduced in most cases. It is postulated that the differences between the pyridine and benzene systems arises from perturbation of the C-N bond polarity. A mechanism to explain the results is presented.