Comparison of the electronic structures of imine and hydrazone side-chain functionalities with the aid of 13C and 15N NMR chemical shifts and PM3 calculations. The influence of C=N-substitution on the sensitivity to aromatic substitution

Benzaldehyde derivatives possessing a C=N double bond in the side-chain of the aromatic ring exhibit a reverse dependence of the (13)C NMR chemical shifts of the C=N carbon on the benzylidenic substituents X. Thus, electron-withdrawing substituents cause shielding (shift is reduced), while electron-donating ones cause deshielding. The origin of this phenomenon, which is in contrast with the idea of the generalized electronic effect, is extensively studied here by comparing the behavior of sets of benzaldehyde derivatives bearing various substitutents Y on the C=N nitrogen (Y-N=CH-C(6)H(4)-X). The effects of substituents X on the C=N unit change when Y is varied. Combination of the influences of the substituents X and Y gives a sensitive balance between the different resonance structures of the compounds. Our graphical treatment, where the rho(I) and rho(R) values observed for substituent X are plotted against the sigma(p)(+) value of substituent Y, is a novel use of Hammett-type substituent parameters. The justification of this method and our conclusions could be verified, for instance, by the fair correlation between the rho(I) or rho(R) values and the atomic charges of the imine carbon of the unsubstitued phenyl derivatives as well as by the correlations of the relevant bond orders and/or bond lengths both with the substituent parameters and with the atomic charges.