Fine structures of 8-G-1-(p-YC6H4C ≡ CSe)C10H6 [1 (G = H) and 2 (G = Cl): Y = H (a), OMe (b), Me (c), F (d), Cl (e), CN (f), and NO2 (g)] are determined by the X-ray analysis. Structures of 1, 2, and 3 (G = Br) are called A if each Se–Csp bond is perpendicular to the naphthyl plane, whereas they are B when the bond is placed on the plane. Structures are observed as A for 1a–c bearing Y of nonacceptors, whereas they are B for 1e–g with Y of strong acceptors. The change in the structures of 1e–g versus those of 1a–c is called Y-dependence in 1. The Y-dependence is very specific in 1 relative to 1-(p-YC6H4Se)C10H7 (4) due to the ethynyl group: the Y-dependence in 1 is almost inverse to the case of 4 due to the ethynyl group. We call the specific effect “Ethynyl Influence.” Structures of 2 are observed as B: the A-type structure of 1b changes dramatically to B of 2b by G = Cl at the 8-position, which is called G-dependence. The structures of 2 and 3 are examined in solutions based on the NMR parameters.

Nuclear couplings for the Se-Se bonds, 1J(Se, Se), are analyzed on the basis of the molecular orbital (MO) theory. The values are calculated by employing the triple ζ basis sets of the Slater type at the DFT level. 1J(Se, Se) are calculated modeled by MeSeSeMe (1a), which shows the typical torsional angular dependence on ϕ(CMeSeSeCMe). The dependence explains well the observed 1Jobsd (Se, Se) of small values (≤ 64 Hz) for RSeSeR′ (1) (simple derivatives of 1a) and large values (330–380 Hz) observed for 4-substituted naphto[1,8-c, d]-1,2-diselenoles (2) which correspond to symperiplanar diselenides. 1J (Se, Se: 2) becomes larger as the electron density on Se increases. The paramagnetic spin-orbit terms contribute predominantly. The contributions are evaluated separately from each MO (ψi) and each ψi → ψa transition, where ψi and ψa are occupied and unoccupied MO's, respectively. The separate evaluation enables us to recognize and visualize the origin and the mechanism of the couplings.

The orientational effect of p-YC6H4 (Ar) on δ(Se) is elucidated for ArSeR, based on experimental and theoretical investigations. Sets of δ(Se) are proposed for pl and pd employing 9-(arylselanyl)anthracenes (1) and 1-(arylselanyl)anthraquinones (2), respectively, where Se–CR in ArSeR is on the Ar plane in pl and perpendicular to the plane in pd. Absolute magnetic shielding tensors of Se (σ(Se)) are calculated for ArSeR (R = H, Me, and Ph), assuming pl and pd, with the DFT-GIAO method. Observed characters are well reproduced by the total shielding tensors (σt(Se)). The paramagnetic terms (σP(Se)) are governed by σP(Se)xx + σP(Se)yy, where the direction of nP(Se) is set to the z-axis. The mechanisms of the orientational effect are established both for pl and pd. Sets of δ(Se: 1) and δ(Se: 2) act as the standards for pl and pd, respectively, when δ(Se) of ArSeR are analyzed based on the orientational effect.