Conformational equilibrium of phenylacetic acid and its halogenated analogues through theoretical studies, NMR and IR spectroscopy.

This paper presents a study on the conformational preferences of phenylacetic acid (PA) and its halogenated analogues (FPA, CPA, BPA). To clarify the effects that rule these molecules' behaviour, theoretical calculations were used, for both the isolated phase and solution, combined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Most conformations of phenylacetic acid and its halogenated derivatives are stabilized through the hyperconjugative effect, which rules the conformational preference. NMR analyses showed that even with the variation in medium polarity, there was no significant change in the conformation population. Infrared spectroscopy showed similar results for all compounds under study. In most spectra, two bands were found through the carbonyl deconvolution, which is in accordance with the theoretical data. It was possible to prove that variation in the nature of the substituent in the ortho position had no significant influence on the conformational equilibrium.

The conformational analysis of 2-halocyclooctanones.

The establishment of the most stable structures of eight membered rings is a challenging task to the field of conformational analysis. In this work, a series of 2-halocyclooctanones were synthesized (including fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine derivatives) and submitted to conformational studies using a combination of theoretical calculation and infrared spectroscopy. For each compound, four conformations were identified as the most important ones. These conformations are derived from the chair-boat conformation of cyclooctanone. The pseudo-equatorial (with respect to the halogen) conformer is preferred in vacuum and in low polarity solvents for chlorine, bromine and iodine derivatives. For 2-fluorocyclooctanone, the preferred conformation in vacuum is pseudo-axial. In acetonitrile, the pseudo-axial conformer becomes the most stable for the chlorine derivative. According to NBO calculations, the conformational preference is not dictated by electron delocalization, but by classical electrostatic repulsions.

Rotational isomerism of some chloroacetamides: theoretical and experimental studies through calculations, infrared and NMR.

The geometries involved in the conformational equilibria of 2,2-dichloro-N-cyclohexyl-N-methyl-acetamide (DCCMA) and 2-chloro-N,N-dicyclohexylacetamide (CDCA) were investigated. Theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/cc-pVDZ level of theory showed that gauche forms (ClCCO) are the most stable and the predominant conformers in isolated phase. Both compounds had the conformational behavior in solvents of different polarities estimated from theoretical calculations with the PCM (Polarizable Continuum Model), at the same level of theory, using infrared data from deconvolution of the carbonyl absorption bands and (13)C NMR spectra. Their IR spectra showed two carbonyl absorptions and that the conformer with the highest dipole moment had its population increased when the most polar solvents were used, in accordance with the theoretical calculation in solution. (1)JCH coupling constants were obtained from their NMR spectra, and revealed that there was population variation of conformers with solvent exchange. Experimental data (NMR and IR) as well as calculations including the solvent effects followed the same trend.

Infrared and theoretical calculations in 2-halocycloheptanones conformational analysis.

2-Halocycloheptanones (Halo=F, Cl, Br and I) were synthesized and their conformational analysis was performed through infrared spectroscopy data. The corresponding conformers geometries and energies were obtained by theoretical calculations at B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory in the isolated state and in solution. It was observed, by both approaches, that the conformational preferences were very sensitive to the solvent polarity, since its increase led to an increase in the population of the more polar conformer. An analysis of these conformational equilibria showed they suffer also the influence of stereoelectronic effects, like hyperconjugation and steric effects. These results were interpreted using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, which indicated that the electronic delocalization to the orbital π*(C=O) is directly involved in the stability increase of conformers I and II. The relative effect of the period of the halogen can also be noted, with changes in the conformational preferences and in the energies involved in the interactions of NBO.