Aromatic amides. V. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in ortho-substituted anilides

The proton magnetic resonance spectra of deuterochloroform solutions of a number of ortho-substituted anilines and their S-acyl derivatives have been measured. Variations in the acylation shifts of the ring protons are explained in terms of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the amide proton and the ortho-substituent. Calculations of the contribution made to the acylation shifts by the anisotropy of the amide group were found to be too sensitive to the molecular geometry to be of any real value. Acylation shifts for a series of 4'-substituted 2'-nitroacetanilides correlate well with the σp values of the 4'-substituents.