Ring-Chain Tautomerism of the Condensation Products of 2-Mercaptobenzohydrazide with Aliphatic and Aromatic Aldehydes: Influence of Electronic and Steric Factors

It has been shown by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy that 2-mercaptobenzoyl-hydrazones of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes exist in solution as tautomeric mixtures of linear and cyclic benzo-1,3,4-thiadiazepine forms. The linear hydrazone form is represented by (E,E')-and (E,Z')-conformational isomers, differing in the disposition relative to the amide C–N bond. Growing bulk of the alkyl substituent at the C=N bond of the aliphatic aldehydes derivatives decreases the fraction of the cyclic tautomer; therewith the logarithms of the constants of the chain-ring tautomeric equilibrium correlate with the ES steric constants of the alkyl substituents. In the series of the aromatic aldehydes 2-mercaptobenzoylhydrazones the linear tautomer prevails, and the logarithms of the tautomeric equilibrium constants KT correlate with the σ-constants of the substituents in the aromatic nucleus.