Prototropic processes in benzaurins. 19F and 1H NMR spectra of fluoro- and methylsubstituted 4-hydroxyphenyl-diphenylcarbinols, related fuchsones and benzaurins

Abstract

Tautomerism of benzaurins and hydration are studied. 1H and 19F chemical shifts have been determined for a number of substituted 4-hydroxyphenyl-diphenyl carbinols containing fluorine in a 3-, 3*- or 4*-position, and for similar compounds containing additional methyl groups in a position of 3, 3** or 4**. The same data have been obtained for the fuchsones prepared by dehydration of the above carbinols. On this basis chemical shifts of fluorine in different positions have been evaluated as a monitor of the transformation of 4-hydroxyphenyl group to the semiquinone moiety. The 19F NMR can be used to monitor the transformation of 4**-fluorobenzaurin and the related 3,3*-disubstituted and 3,3*,5,5*-tetramethylsubstituted compounds to the corresponding carbinols due to the addition of a water molecule and to study the tautomerism of the two latter benzaurins as well as that of 3,3*,4**trifluorobenzaurin. Furthermore, fluorine and methyl group chemical shifts are sensitive to syn-anti-isomerism in substituted fuchsones.The prototropic process of these compounds may be slow or fast on a 1H NMR time scale depending on the solvent and may be catalyzed by water or carbonic acids. On the basis of kinetic and thermodynamic data obtained by dynamic NMR studies, a mechanism for the process has been proposed.

Synthesis and study of prototropic tautomerism of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1-hydroxyimidazoles

“…One of the methods to study prototropic tautomerism is to compare the spectral data of the compounds under consideration with a model molecule that has a structure corresponding to a definite tautomer (see, e.g., papers [15][16][17][18]23,31 and also a review). 32 1-Methylimidazole 3-oxides were chosen as model structures for the N-oxide tautomer.…”