15N Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra of Phenylacetanilides

15 N substituent chemical shifts (SCS) of a variety of anticonvulsant phenylacetanilides (1) and (2), with a substituent at the para or meta position of the aniline moiety, were analysed by means of DSP (dual substituent parameter) equations. For the sake of comparison, 15N scs of p-substituted anilines (3), and 13C chemical shifts of some ring carbons of (1) and (3) were also investigated. The similarity observed for the correlation of the carbon shifts para to the substituent for (1) and (3) indicates that the nitrogen shifts will be a better probe for the transmission of the substituent effect to nitrogen.