Benzoid-quinoid tautomerism of Schiff bases and their structural analogs: LV. Crown-containing N-phenylimines derived from ortho-hydroxycarbaldehydes of the coumarin series

Schiff bases were synthesized from 3-hydroxy-6-oxo-6H-benzoc]chromene-4-carbaldehyde, 5-hydroxy-4,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-2H-chromene-6-carbaldehyde, 6,7-dihydroxy-4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromene-8-carbaldehyde, 5,7-dihydroxy-4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromene-6,8-dicarbaldehyde, and 5-hydroxy-4,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-2H-chromene-6,8-dicarbaldehyde and (¹⁵N)aniline or aminobenzo-15-crown-5 (2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12-octahydrobenzob]1,4,7,10,13]pentaoxacyclopentadecin-15-amine), and tautomeric equilibrium between the hydroxy enimino and keto enamino forms of the 4- and 8-iminomethyl derivatives in solution was revealed by 1H NMR and electronic spectroscopy. Addition of alkaline earth cations to their solutions in acetonitrile displaced the tautomeric equilibrium toward the hydroxy enimino structure due to complex formation with the crown ether fragment.