title: Aromatic amines: a comparison of electron-donor strengths.
abstract: The electron-donor abilities of ten aminophenyl systems and an additional aminothienyl system are compared using density functional theory calculations. The systems studied here include those with amine nitrogen atoms bearing alkyl or aryl groups and those with amine nitrogen atoms as part of a heterocycle. Their abilities to act as donors in electron-transfer processes are assessed from calculated vertical ionization potentials for the aminobenzenes, which are in good agreement with available experimental data. Their abilities to act as intramolecular pi-electron donors in conjugated systems are inferred from the bond lengths and charge densities calculated for the corresponding 4-aminobenzaldehydes and 4-aminobenzonitriles. The computed (13)C NMR chemical shifts for the 4-aminobenzaldehydes and 4-aminobenzonitriles are in good agreement with published and new experimental data. The chemical shifts correlate well with the computed charge densities and can, to some extent, be used as an experimental probe of pi-donor strength. We find that the electron-transfer-donor strengths do not correlate well with pi-donor strengths: these differences can largely be attributed to steric effects.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA.
authors.forename: Ohyun
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Odom
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beverina
authors.forename: Natalie J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Egbert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zojer
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Brédas
authors.forename: Seth R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Marder