17O NMR studies of ortho-substituent effects in substituted phenyl tosylates.

(17)O NMR spectra for 35 ortho-, para-, and meta-substituted phenyl tosylates (phenyl 4-methylbenzenesulfonates), 4-CH(3)-C(6)H(4) SO(2)OC(6)H(4)-X, at natural abundance in acetonitrile at 50 °C were recorded. The (17)O NMR chemical shifts, δ((17)O), of the sulfonyl (SO(2)) and the single-bonded phenoxy (OPh) oxygens for para and meta derivatives correlated well with dual substituent parameter treatment using the Taft inductive, σ(I), and resonance, σº(R), constants. The influence of ortho substituents on the sulfonyl oxygen and the single-bonded phenoxy oxygen chemical shifts, δ((17)O), was found to be nicely described by the Charton equation: δ((17)O)(ortho) = δ((17)O)(H) + ρ(I)σ(I) + ρ(R)σ°(R) + δE(s)(B) when the data treatment was performed separately for electron-donating +R substituents and electron-attracting -R substituents. Electron-attracting meta and para substituents in the phenyl moiety caused deshielding while the electron-donating meta, para and ortho +R substituents produce shielding effects on the sulfonyl (SO(2)) and single-bonded phenoxy (OPh) oxygens. The influence of ortho inductive and resonance effects in the case of +R substituents was found to be approximately twice higher than the corresponding influence from the para position. Due to the steric effect of ortho substituents a decrease in shielding of the oxygens at the sulfonyl group (δE(s)(B) > 0, E(s)(B) < 0) was detected.