Heavy halogen atom effect on ¹³C NMR chemical shifts in monohalo derivatives of cyclohexane and pyran. Experimental and theoretical study

As a first step, a qualitative analysis of the spin-orbit operator was performed to predict the kind of organic compounds, where it could be expected that the SO/FC (spin-orbit/Fermi contact) and SO/SD (spin-orbit/spin dipolar) yield unusually small contributions to the "heavy atom effect" on ¹³C SCSs (substituent chemical shifts). This analysis led to the conclusion that compounds presenting strong hyperconjugative interactions involving the σ^*C-X orbital (X = halogen) are good examples where such effects can be expected to take place. On the basis of such results, the following set of model compounds was chosen: 2-eq-halocyclohexane (2-eq), 2-ax-halocyclohexane (2-ax), and 2-ax-halopyran (3), to measure ¹³C SCSs. Such experimental values, as well as those of methane and halomethanes taken from the literature, were compared to calculated values at a nonrelativistic approach using B3LYP, and at a relativistic approach with BP86 using scalar ZORA, spin-orbit ZORA, scalar PAULI, and spin-orbit PAULI. Results from relativistic calculations are in agreement with the trends predicted by the qualitative model discussed in this work.