Solvent and Substituent Effects on the Spectra of Some Substituted Thioureas

A study on the effect of a number of solvents, covering a broad polarity range i.e. from dioxane (D=2.20) to acetonitrile (D=38.0), has been made on the electronic transitions of N-aryl, N′-2-(5-halo-pyridyl) thioureas (where aryl= -C₂H₅ or O-CH₃-C₆H₅-, and halo= -Cl, -Brand -I). Two intense absorption maxima in the regions 270-285 nm (assigned for thiocarbonyl π-π* transition) are exhibited by all the substituted thioureas studied. The excitation energies and oscillator strengths of these transitions have been calculated. A correlation between ‘E_T’ and ‘Z’ (an empirical measure of solvent polarity) has been attempted. Solvent sensitivities of these compounds have also been calculated. The effect of halo-substituents, in the pyridine ring, on the spectra of these substituted thioureas has also been studied. It has been proposed that there is a delocalization of electrons between the pyridine ring and the thiourea unit of these compounds. This delocalization of electronic charge is affected by the substitution of the halo-groups in the pyridine ring at para position to the thiourea unit which is reflected in the intensities and shifting of the absorption maxima.