Specificity of 15N NMR chemical shifts to the nature of substituents and tautomerism in substituted pyridine N-oxides

¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N NMR chemical shifts have been measured for 2-aminopyridine N-oxide (1), its eleven derivatives (2–10, 13, 14), and 3-Cl and 3-Br substituted 4-nitropyridine N-oxides (11, 12). δ(¹⁵N) of pyridine ring nitrogen in 2-acetylaminopyridine N-oxides are 5.9–11.5 ppm deshielded from those in 2-aminopyridine N-oxides. When amino and acetylamino substituents are in 4-position, δ(¹⁵N) of ring nitrogen is 21.3 ppm deshielded in the acetylated derivative. The strong resonance interaction between 2-amino and 5-nitro groups reflects in the decrease of amino nitrogen shielding about 5.3–17.9 ppm. Also, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral data are in agreement with ¹⁵N NMR results reflected as deshielded amino protons and carbons C-2 and C-5. The pyridine nitrogen chemical shift in all amino- and acetylamino derivatives vary between ?101.2 and ?126.7 ppm, which has been connected with the tautomeric balance in our earlier studies.