The molecular structures of bonellin-dimethylester isomers and transition states, for the hydrogen migration of the inner hydrogens, have been optimized at density functional level by the use of split-valence basis sets augmented with polarization functions. Accurate values for the relative energies of the six isomers and the eight transition states have been obtained by performing second-order Mùller ± Plesset calculations. The isomer energies obtained at density functional level are 2 ± 5 kcal mol À1 smaller than second-order Mùller ± Plesset values, while the isomer energies calculated at Hartree ± Fock level are typically 1 kcal mol À1 too small compared with second-order Mùl-ler ± Plesset values, except for one isomer whose Hartree ± Fock energy is 7 kcal mol À1 larger. Compared with the second-order Mùller ± Plesset values, the energy barriers for the transition between the isomers calculated at density functional level are 3 ± 7 kcal mol À1 too small, whereas those obtained at Hartree ± Fock level are 6 ± 8 kcal mol À1 too large. Nuclear magnetic shielding constants calculated at Hartree ± Fock level are also reported. The calculated nuclear magnetic shieldings are used for analyzing the aromaticity and the aromatic pathway of the porphyrin nucleus.