Why downfield proton chemical shifts are not reliable aromaticity indicators

Org Lett. 2005 Aug 4;7(16):3457-60. doi: 10.1021/ol051103v.

Abstract

Traces of magnetizability, traces of magnetic shielding at the hydrogen nuclei, and nucleus-independent chemical shift are not reliable aromaticity quantifiers for planar conjugated hydrocarbons. A measure of aromaticity is provided by the out-of-plane tensor components, whose magnitude is influenced by the pi-ring currents. The failure of nucleus-independent chemical shift in this regard was proved for the molecule shown in the abstract graphic, sustaining a diatropic pi-current. The validity of the ring-current model is reaffirmed. [structure: see text]