IntroductionThe differential reactivity of the two carbonyl groups of unsymmetrically substituted phthalic anhydrides has been extensively studied (1-9); however, clear understanding of the factors that control the selectivity has yet to be achieved. The utility of 170 nrnr spectroscopy has been rapidly increasing (10-12), and it has been successfully used to estimate electronic characteristics (13-15) and local environment changes arising from steric interactions for a number of functional groups (16-21), including carbonyl groups (1 8-21). For example, it has been recently demonstrated that large bulky groups (e.g., tert-butyl) cause considerable in-plane distortion of the molecular structure of phthalic anhydride when placed at the 3 position (22). The steric interactions were reflected in the 170 chemical shift data of these compounds. In an effort to gain insight into the influence of substituents of varying electronic character on the properties and reactivities of the two carbonyl functions of 3-substituted phthalic anhydrides, we have studied the 170 chemical shifts of a series of phthalic anhydrides (1) and related phthalides (2 and 3).