The substituent effect on the UV energy of 4,4′-disubstituted benzylideneanilines

In this paper, 72 samples of disubstituted benzylideneanilines were all synthesized, and their UV data were measured in anhydrous ethanol. In the study on the UV energy of the titled compounds with single substituent changed, for the effect of the aniline substituent Y on the UV wavenumbers, its UV data can be correlated with a dual-parameter equation; for the effect of benzylidene substituent X on the UV data, its UV energy can be correlated with a single-parameter equation (Y is an electron-withdrawing group and H) or a dual-parameter equation (Y is an electron-donating group). In the study on the UV energy of model compounds with double substituents changed, a correlation equation between the UV absorption wavenumbers and substituent constants sCCex and sp, was obtained. For 72 samples of 4,4'-disubstituted benzylideneanilines, the correlation coefficient was 0.9876, and the standard deviation s was only 358.46?cm1. The equation can be used to predict well the UV energy of BA derivatives. It was found that ?s2 is a better parameter than sXY to scale the substituent cross-interaction effect on the UV wavenumbers of benzylideneanilines molecules. The results implied that the law of substituent effect on the UV energy of titled compounds is different from that of substituted stilbenes, and it is helpful to understand the effect of substituent effects on the chemical and physical properties of conjugated compounds with an imine bridging group (C=N) or a nonplanar parent. Copyright (c) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.