THE ULTRAVIOLET ABSORPTION SPECTRA OF SOME CARBOXY DERIVATIVES OF NAPHTHALENE

Abstract

The ultraviolet absorption spectra of a variety of naphthalene compounds containing phenyl and carboxy substituents are described. The majority of the compounds contain either the naphthalene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid anhydride or the naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid anhydride ring systems. It is shown that in ethanolic solution the spectra of these anhydrides change over a period of a few hours. The spectra of the anhydrides in n-heptane or dioxane solution do not change on standing. The effects of the various substituents are discussed in terms of steric inhibition of resonance and of antagonistic and reinforcing actions of the substituents, dependent on the position of substitution. The significance of these data are considered in relation to the general problem of the interpretation of the ultraviolet absorption spectra of complex molecules.