Proton-coupled and noise-decoupled "C NMR spectra of 1-azulenecnrbaldehyde, 1-acetylazulene and 1,3-azulenedicarbaldehyde have been studied, and complete assignments have been made based on the C-'H coupling constants, additivity of substitoent effects (SIS), and previous assignment for the parent hydrocarbon. The barriers to rotation of the aldehyde group in the above azuleneaubaldehydes and in some naphthaldehydes have been determined by -C dynamic NMR, (DNMR), resulting in free energies of activation of 42.7, 26.8 and 34.4W m0l-l for 1-azulenecarbaldehyde, 1-naphthaldehyde and 2-naphthaldehyde respectively. The same order of barriers is obtained by -012 calculations. A 4-metbxy substitoent in 1-naphthaldehyde and a 6-methoxy substituent in 2-naphthaldehyde increases the rotational barrier by 4.6 and 2.9 W mol-', respectively, whereas a d-methoxy substituent in 2-naphthaldehyde reduces the barrier by 6.7W mol-'. The conformatiom of the dominant rotamers are deduced from -C chemical shifts to be 2 for 1-azuleneuubaldehyde and 1-napbthaldehyde, and E for 2-naphthaldehyde. 13