Elucidation of the structures of 3‐alkylthio‐, 3‐benzylthio‐, 2‐arylthio‐ and 2‐heteroarylthio‐N1‐(1,3‐dimethylbutyl)‐N4‐phenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamines by one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR spectroscopy

Nucleophilic addition of alkyl- and benzylthiols to benzoquinone diimine (1) gave the corresponding 3-alkylthio- or 3-benzylthio-1,4-phenylenediamines (2-5). However, addition of aryl- or heteroarylthiols to 1 formed 2-arylthio- or 2-heteroarylthio-1,4-phenylenediamines (6-14). The structures of 2-14, obtained in 55-91% yields, were confirmed in CDCl3 or DMSO-d6 solution using 1D (NOE difference, coupled 13C NMR spectra, APT and DEPT) and 2D NMR techniques [DQCOSY, NOESY, HETCOR and heteronuclear multiple bond coherence (HMBC)] that resulted in unambiguous proton and carbon NMR resonance assignments. The substituent-induced 13C NMR chemical shift differences were calculated in 2-14 relative to carbon atoms in the model compound N1-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N4-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (DMBPPD) (15) (a reduced form of benzoquinone diimine).