Electronic effects of heterocyclic ring systems as evaluated with the aid of 13C and 15N NMR chemical shifts and NBO analysis

The electronic effects of the 5‐ and 6‐membered heterocyclic rings on the C?N? N unit of five different hydrazone derivatives of pyridine‐2‐, ‐3‐ and ‐4‐carbaldehydes, pyrrole‐2‐carbaldehyde, furan‐2‐ and ‐3‐carbaldehydes and thiophene‐2‐ and ‐3‐carbaldehydes have been studied with the aid of ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR measurements together with the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. As model compounds are used the corresponding substituted benzaldehyde derivatives. The polarization of the C?N unit of the hydrazone functionality of the heteroaryl derivatives occurs in an analogous manner with that of phenyl derivatives. The electron‐withdrawing heteroaryl groups destabilize and the electron‐donating groups stabilize the positive charge development at the C?N carbon while the effect on the negative charge development is opposite. The ¹⁵N NMR chemical shift of the C?N and C?N? N nitrogens and the NBO charges at C?N? N unit can be correlated with the replacement substituent constants σ of the heteroaryl groups. ¹³C NMR shifts of the C?N carbon of N,N‐dialkylhydrazones of the heteroarenecarbaldehydes can be correlated with a dual parameter equation possessing the polar substituent constant σ* of the heteroaryl group and the electronegativity of the heteroatom as variables. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.