Substituent effects on nuclear spin–spin carbon–carbon coupling constants in derivatives of acetylene

¹J(¹³C?¹³C) nuclear spin–spin coupling constants in derivatives of acetylene have been measured from natural abundance ¹³C NMR spectra and in one case (triethylsilyllithiumacetylene) from the ¹³C NMR spectrum of a ¹³C-enriched sample. It has been found that the magnitude of J(C?C) depends on the electronegativity of the substituents at the triple bond. The equation ¹J(¹³C?¹³C) = 43.38 E_x + 17.33 has been derived for one particular series of the compounds Alk₃SiC?CX, where X denotes Li, R₃Sn, R₃Si, R₃C, I, Br or Cl. The ¹J(C?C) values found in this work cover a range from 56.8 Hz (in Et₃SiC?Li) to 216.0 Hz (in PhC?CCI). However, the ¹J(C?C) vs E_x equation combined with the Egli–von Philipsborn relationship allows the calculation of the coupling constants in Li₂C₂ (32 Hz) and in F₂C₂ (356 Hz). These are probably the lowest and the highest values, respectively, which can be attained for ¹J(CC) across a triple bond. The unusually large changes of the ¹J(C?C) values are explained in terms of substituent effects followed by a re-hybridization of the carbons involved in the triple bond. INDO FPT calculations performed for two series of acetylene derivatives, with substituents varied along the first row of the Periodic Table, corroborate the conclusions drawn from the experimental data.