We have recorded the photoelectronic spectra of 32 differently 3-substituted 2-cyclohexen-1-ones as well as those of 10 para-substituted acetophenones. Assignment of most of the cyclohexenone bands is made and the substituent effects on the π-electron ionization potentials and of the oxygen lone pair are discussed. The linear relationship between the ionization potential of the carbonyl oxygen lone pair and σp-type constants as well as those between the ionization potentials and the enthalpies of complexation (ΔH0) of the ketones with BF3 in methylene chloride allows us to propose that the direct conjugative interaction between the substituents and the carbonyl group is weak in the free ketone but becomes very strong in the complexed or protonated state. The existence of two distinct relationships (ΔH0 = f(PI n0) for 3-substituted cyclohexenones and the aromatic ketones indicates that this type of expression cannot be used for the comparison of the Lewis basicities of different types of ketones; on the contrary, these expressions do allow for the comparison of the relative basicities of the same type. [Journal Translation]
Restricted Rotation in Aromatic Ketones. I. Substituent Effects on the Barrier to Rotation about the Benzene-to-Carbonyl Bond
