Acidity of ortho-substituted benzoic acids: an infrared and theoretical study of the intramolecular hydrogen bonds

The structures of ortho-substituted benzoic acids with substituents bearing hydrogen atoms (OH, NH2, COOH and SO2NH2) were investigated by means of IR spectroscopy and of density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) level. All possible conformations, hydrogen bonds, tautomeric forms and zwitterions were taken into consideration and particular attention was given to intramolecular H-bonds and their effect on acidity. Strong H-bonds in the anions of all four acids, were revealed by calculations. In three cases they were confirmed by the IR spectra of the tetrabutylammonium salts in tetrachloromethane solution, while the salt of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid was not sufficiently soluble. The H-bonds are of different strengths but in all cases they are the main cause of the strengthened acidity of these acids in the gas phase and also in solution, although their effect is opposed by weaker H-bonds present in the undissociated acid molecules. The substituent effect on the acidity was evaluated in terms of isodesmic reactions, separately in the acid molecules and in the anions. While the acidity of the 2-OH and 2-NH2 acids is determined essentially by the H-bonds, that of the 2-COOH and 2-SO2NH2 acids is strengthened by the polar effect operating in the undissociated molecule in addition to the H-bond in the anion. The steric inhibition of resonance (SIR), estimated from model conformations with fixed torsional angles, is of little importance. This analysis goes significantly beyond the classical explanation obtained from the acidities in solution but essentially conforms with it.