THE STUDY OF HYDROGEN BONDING AND RELATED PHENOMENA BY ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT ABSORPTION: PART VI. THE EFFECT OF STERIC INTERACTIONS ON THE INTRAMOLECULAR HYDROGEN BOND IN o-NITROPHENOL

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding occurring in o-nitrophenol is discussed with special reference to the effects of the steric interactions on the absorption bands and on the bonding. An alkyl substituent vicinal to the OH group, or a methyl group vicinal to the NO 2 group appears to strengthen the intramolecular hydrogen bond in o-nitrophenol. The O—H vibrational stretching frequency in o-nitrophenol appears to be more susceptible to steric than to mesomeric interactions, and a methyl substituent vicinal to the nitro group in o-nitrophenols is found to give rise to a characteristic O—H stretching vibration band. For 6-t-butyl-2-nitrophenol, a special, "protected" hydrogen bond is postulated. In some of the o-nitrophenols, intermolecular hydrogen bonding gives rise to appreciable ultraviolet intensity decreases presumably because of increased steric interactions.