Spectroscopy ring currents

DuVernet, R. and Boekelheide, V., Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ring-current effects on carbon-13 chemical shifts, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 71, 2961, 1974. 

Fox et al.101-103 have studied the structure of Ni(II) complexes being derivatives of frans-l,2-diaminocyclohexane, using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Chemical shift differences (A<5) between di-Schiff base and its nickel (II) complexes observed for aromatic protons were attributed to the ring currents [40]. 

X-ray crystallography, docking modes can be validated by various NMR techniques NOEs may be observed between the ligand and the receptor protein by heteronuclear-filtered NOE spectroscopy [51], chemical shift changes of protein resonances upon binding can be analyzed by simulation of shifts caused by ring currents and electrostatic effects [52], and saturation transfer difference measurements indicate which part of the ligand is in direct contact with the protein [52]. 

From these investigations it is clear that the Li chemical shift gives a clear indication of the lithium cation position when there are direct effects from ring currents in delocalized anions. However, as shown for the quinuclidine CIP and THF SSIP fluorenyllithium complexes, the correct assignment cannot be reached solely based on the chemical shifts. Furthermore, there is no clear-cut information about solvation to be gained from the chemical shifts. As we discuss in the following Section, the quadrupolar interaction is much more sensitive to these effects. In order to obtain maximal structural information from Li NMR spectroscopy, the chemical shift should be determined and used in combination with the quadrupolar coupling constant. 

The circulating electrons in the 7t-system of aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocycles generate a ring current and this in turn affects the chemical shifts of protons bonded to the periphery of the ring. This shift is usually greater (downfield from TMS) than that expected for the proton resonances of alkenes thus NMR spectroscopy can be used as a test for aromaticity . The chemical shift for the proton resonance of benzene is 7.2 ppm, whereas that of the C-1 proton of cyclohexene is 5.7 ppm, and the resonances of the protons of pyridine and pyrrole exhibit the chemical shifts shown in Box 1.12. 

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