Isotope effects in electron-donor-acceptor complexes involving aromatic hydrocarbons and fluoranil from NMR shift measurements

Equilibrium constants and NMR shift parameters have been determined for complexes of benzene, toluene and p-xylene and their perdeutero-analogues with fluoranil in cyclohexane solution from NMR shift measurements. Isotope effects are observed in the 1:1 equilibrium constants for the complexes of p-xylene $\text{(}\text{K}{}_1\text{(D)}\text{K}{}_1\text{(H)}$= 1.1₀) and toluene $\text{(}\text{K}{}_1\text{(D)}\text{K}{}_1\text{(H)}$ = 1.0₉). A much smaller effect was observed for the benzene complex which could not be quantified. These results may be interpreted through either the larger electronegativity of H over D, or the greater steric requirements of H over D.