Acetylene magnetic anisotropy

Another illustrative example is that of phenylacetylene. Table 6-7 summarizes the H NMR chemical shifts of its alkyne H-atom in a variety of solvents [273], Most solvents (except aromatic solvents) decrease the shielding of the acetylenic hydrogen nuclei. The corresponding low-field shifts have been interpreted in terms of weak specific association between the alkyne as hydrogen-bond-donor and electron pair-donor groupings of the solvent [273], The high-field shifts in aromatic solvents arise from the magnetic anisotropy of the solvent molecules (see below). The order of effectiveness of the solvent... 

These hybridisation variations are caused by anisotropy within the chemical bonds. This is due to the non-homogeneous electronic distribution around bonded atoms to which can be added the effects of small magnetic fields induced by the movement of electrons (Fig. 9.12). Thus, protons on ethylene are deshielded because they are located in an electron-poor plane. Inversely, protons on acetylene that are located in the C-C bond axis are shielded because they are in an electron-rich environment. Signals related to aromatic protons are strongly shifted towards lower fields because, as well as the anisotropic effect, a local field produced by the movement of the aromatic electrons or the ring current is superimposed on the principal field (Fig. 9.12). 

---