Investigations of Substituent Effects by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and All-valence Electron Molecular Orbital Calculations. I, 4-Substituted Styrenes

1H and 13C chemical shifts have been determined for over 20 4-substituted styrenes under conditions corresponding to infinite dilution in a non-polar medium. Correlations of the internal chemical shift difference for the β vinyl protons, Δδ(B − C) with electric field components estimated by a classical electrostatic calculation, with the field parameter F, and with hydrogen charge densities estimated by CNDO/2 MO calculations provide conclusive evidence for the existence of a through-space field effect. CNDO/2 calculations for 4-substituted 1-vinylbicyclo[2.2.2]octanes and ethylene–methylX pairs indicate that this through-space field effect has a geometric dependence similar to that predicted by the Buckingham equation.Correlations of vinyl 1H and 13C chemical shifts and charge densities with field, F, and resonance, R, parameters provide a self-consistent picture of electronic effects in these compounds. 1H chemical shifts for some derivatives are affected by magnetic effects but this does not obscure the overall pattern of electronic effects. This pattern of electronic effects can be completely accounted for by a model which assumes that substituent effects can be transmitted through space (field effects), via conjugative interactions (resonance effects) or by polarization of the styrene π electron system by the polar C—X bond (π polarization effects). The latter effect appears to be more important than previously realized.1H correlations with F and R are used to estimate self-consistent and apparently reasonable Δχ values for C≡N and C≡C—H groups and F and R values for carbonyl substituents and (CH3)3M substituents (M = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb). The halogens give anomalous results. A comparison of various correlations suggests that these anomalies are magnetic in origin.