Structures and intriguing conformational behavior of 1- and 2-naphthalenesulfonamides as determined by gas-phase electron diffraction and computational methods.

The saturated vapors of 1- and 2-naphthalenesulfonamides (1-NaphSA and 2-NaphSA) were studied by the gas-phase electron diffraction/mass-spectrometric method at 413(9) and 431(9) K. According to quantum chemical calculations (DFT/B3LYP and MP2 with cc-pVDZ, aug-cc-pVDZ, cc-pVTZ, and aug-cc-pVTZ basis set) 1-NaphSA possesses four conformers with different orientations of the SO2NH2 fragment relative to the naphthalene frame and eclipsed or staggered orientation of the N-H and S═O bonds, whereas 2-NaphSA possesses only two conformers with different orientations of the N-H and S═O bonds. It was experimentally established that vapors over 1-NaphSA and 2-NaphSA exist predominantly (up to 75 mol %) of low-energy conformers of C1 symmetry in which the C-S-N planes deviate from perpendicular orientation relative to the naphthalene skeleton with near eclipsed orientation of the N-H and S═O bonds of the SO2NH2 fragment. The following geometrical parameters (Šand degrees) of the dominant conformers were derived: r(h1)(C-H) = 1.089(4), r(h1)(C-C)av = 1.411(3), r(h1)(C-S) = 1.761(10), r(h1)(S-O)av = 1.425(3), r(h1)(S-N) = 1.666(10), ∠C-C1-C = 119.8(2), ∠C1-S-N = 104.5(22), C9-C1-S-N = 69.5(30) for 1-NaphSA; r(h1)(C-H) = 1.083(5), r(h1)(C-C)av = 1.411(3), r(h1)(C-S) = 1.780(7), r(h1)(S-O)av = 1.427(4), r(h1)(S-N) = 1.668(6), ∠C-C2-C = 123.0(3), ∠C2-S-N = 103.6(19), C1-C2-S-N = 110(10) for 2-NaphSA. The connection between nonequivalence of the C-C bonds in the naphthalene frame and spatial orientation of the substituents SO2NH2 is discussed. Transition states between conformers and enantiomers were determined.

Molecular structure and conformations of para-methylbenzene sulfonamide and ortho-methylbenzene sulfonamide: gas electron diffraction and quantum chemical calculations study.

The molecular structure and conformational properties of para-methylbenzene sulfonamide (4-MBSA) and ortho-methylbenzene sulfonamide (2-MBSA) have been studied by gas electron diffraction (GED) and quantum chemical methods (B3LYP/6-311+G** and MP2/6-31G**). Quantum chemical calculations predict the existence of two conformers for 4-MBSA with the S-N bond perpendicular to the benzene plane and the NH2 group either eclipsing or staggering the S-O bonds of the SO2 group. Both conformers possess CS symmetry. The eclipsed form is predicted to be favored by DeltaE = 0.63 kcal/mol (B3LYP) or 1.00 kcal/mol (MP2). According to the calculations, the S-N bond in 2-MBSA can possess planar direction opposite the methyl group (phi(C2C1SN) = 180 degrees ) or nonplanar direction (phi(C2C1SN) approximately 60 degrees ). In both cases, the NH2 group can adopt eclipsed or staggered orientation, resulting in a total of four stable conformers. The nonplanar eclipsed conformer (C1 symmetry) and the planar eclipsed form (CS symmetry) are predicted to be favored. According to the GED analysis, the saturated vapor over solid 4-MBSA at T = 151(3) degrees C consists as mixture of the eclipsed (78(19) %) and staggered (22(19) %) forms. The saturated vapor over solid 2-MBSA at T = 157(3) degrees C consists as a mixture of the nonplanar eclipsed (69(11) %) and planar eclipsed (31(11) %) forms.