The NMR spectra of a series of beta-substituted iron(III) tetraphenylporphyrin (2-X-TPP) complexes have been studied to elucidate the relationship between the electron donating/withdrawing properties of the 2-substituent and the (1)H NMR spectral pattern. The electronic nature of the substituent has been significantly varied and covered the -0.6 to 0.8 Hammett constant range. Both high-spin and low-spin complexes of the general formula (2-X-TPP)Fe(III)Cl and [(2-X-TPP)Fe(III)(CN)(2)](-) have been investigated. The (1)H NMR data for the following substituents (X) have been reported: py(+), NO(2), CN, CH(3), BzO (C(6)H(5)COO), H, D, Br, Cl, CH(3), NH(2), NH(3)(+), NHCH(3), OH, and O(-). The (1)H NMR resonances for low-spin dicyano complexes have been completely assigned by a combination of two-dimensional COSY and NOESY experiments. In the case of selected high-spin complexes, the 3-H resonance has been identified by the selective deuteration of all but the 3-H position. The pattern of unambiguously assigned seven pyrrole resonances reflects the asymmetry imposed by 2-substitution and has been used as an unique (1)H NMR spectroscopic probe to map the spin density distribution. The pyrrole isotropic shifts of [(2-X-TPP)Fe(III)(CN)(2)](-) are dominated by the contact term. In order to quantify the substituent effect, the dependence of isotropic shift of all low-spin pyrrole resonances and 3-H high-spin pyrrole resonance versus Hammett constants has been studied. The electronic effect is strongly localized at the beta-substituted pyrrole. The major change of the isotropic shift has also been noted for only one of two adjacent pyrrole rings, i.e., at 7-H and 8-H positions. These neighboring protons, located on a single pyrrole ring, experienced opposite shift changes when electron withdrawing/donating properties were modified. Two other pyrrole rings for all investigated derivatives revealed considerably smaller, substituent related, isotropic shift changes. A long-range secondary isotopic shift has been observed for [(2-D-TPP)Fe(III)(CN)(2)](-). The effect is consistent with a general spin density distribution mechanism due to beta-substitution. A fairly good correlation between the 3-H isotropic shift of (2-X-TPP)Fe(III)Cl and the Hammett constant has been found as well. The observed contact shift pattern of [(2-X-TPP)Fe(III)(CN)(2)](-) reflects spin pi delocalization into the highest filled MO equivalent to the unsubstituted porphyrin 3e(pi) orbital. To account for the substituent contribution, the semiquantitative Fenske-Hall LCAO method has been used to determine the molecular orbitals involved in the spin density delocalization. For low-spin complexes, (13)C pyrrole resonances of carbons bearing a proton have been identified by means of a (1)H-(13)C HMQC experiment. The reversed order of (13)C resonance patterns as compared to their (1)H NMR counterparts has been determined, e.g., the largest isotropic shift of 3-H has been accompanied by the smallest measured (13)C isotropic shift. Analysis of the isotropic shif...

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