Looking for Treasure in Stereochemistry-Land. A Path Marked by Curiosity, Obstinacy, and Serendipity

Stereoelectronic interactions are too weak to explain the molecular conformation in solid state of cis-2-tert-butyl-5-(tert-butylsulfonyl)-1,3-dioxane

cis-2-tert-Butyl-5-(tert-butylsulfonyl)-1,3-dioxane (cis-1) exhibits a high degree of eclipsing in the H-C5-S-C segment in the solid state, the origin of which remains unexplained. The eclipsed conformation that corresponds to an energetic minimum in the solid state practically corresponds to a rotational transition state in solution, which allows an approach to understand transitions states. The difference in the enthalpy of sublimation ΔsubH between cis-1 and the more stable trans-1 is 8.40 kcal mol-1, lets to consider that the intermolecular interactions in the crystalline structure must be responsible for the conformational effect observed in the solid state. The study of the experimental electron density of cis-1 in solid state allowed to establish that CH⋯OS intermolecular interaction is the main contribution to the observed eclipsing. The charge density analysis was also performed using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules to evaluate the nature and relevance of the intermolecular interactions in the crystal structure.

Anomeric and Perlin Effect Ladders for 2-Substituted 2-Fluorotetrahydro-2H-pyrans Using Sensitive Structural, Energetic, and NMR Probes

A comprehensive exploration of the anomeric and Perlin effects in a series of 2-substituted-2-fluorotetrahydro-2H-pyrans employing sensitive structural, energetic, and NMR probes calculated by density functional theory (DFT) and natural bond orbital (NBO) approaches is undertaken. We used a wide variety of X substituents exhibiting diverse electronic features (σ-donors, σ-donors/π-donors, and σ-donors/π-acceptors). It is noteworthy that a group of 8 substituents (NHMe, SCN, OBr, NO₃, OCl, Cl, OF, and Br) favor the axial conformations, while a group of 13 substituents (NO₂, NF₂, NH₂, CN, SH, H, N₃, B(OH)₂, OMe, BH₂, OH, Me, and Ph) favor the equatorial conformations. Interestingly, a group of 6 substituents (NH₂, NHMe, NF₂, OF, OCl, and OBr) are responsible for the observed normal Perlin effect while the remaining 16 substituents induce the reverse Perlin effect. An exhaustive investigation of possible correlations of anomeric and Perlin effect descriptors with structural, energetic, one-bond ¹J_C-F couplings and the nucleophilicity of X descriptors demonstrated the general relationship of the Perlin and anomeric effects and manifested their common stereoelectronic origin.

Does induced current density explain the C-H and C-F Perlin effects?

Spin-spin coupling constant (SSCC) data may be useful in providing information on the stereochemistry and intramolecular interactions in molecules. One-bond C-H and C-F SSCCs (1JCH and 1JCF) are amongst the most important NMR parameters used to study the structure of alicyclic six-membered rings, because the Perlin effect, defined as 1JCHeq > 1JCHax, and the fluorine Perlin-like effect, defined as |1JCFeq| > |1JCFax|, are in wide currency to probe the conformations of these compounds. The origin of these effects has been usually attributed either to dipolar interactions or hyperconjugation, while the induced current density (ICD) has been recently correlated to the magnetic shielding tensors in some six-membered ring compounds, and then used to explain the Perlin effect. Accordingly, this work reports an analysis of the ICD as a descriptor of 1JCH and 1JCF in a series of six-membered rings to find out the role of the ICD in the conventional and fluorine Perlin effect. The atoms in molecules (AIM) magnetic responses obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the studied compounds did not show any relationship of the first-order electronic current density (ΔJ(1)) with the calculated Δ1JCHax-eq and Δ1JCFax-eq values. Consequently, the title effects cannot be precisely explained by ICD. Nevertheless, an interesting relationship between ΔJ(1) and Δdelocalization involving σCH* orbitals is observed.

The mutual effect of a carbonyl polar bond and an endocyclic oxygen on the 1 JC-F coupling constant of fluorinated six-membered rings

The ¹ J_C-F coupling constant can be useful to probe the conformational landscape of organofluorine compounds and the intramolecular interactions governing the stereochemistry of these compounds. Neighboring oxygen electron lone pairs and a carbonyl group relative to a C─F bond affect this coupling constant in an opposite way, and therefore, analysis of the interactions involving these entities simultaneously indicates which effect dominates ¹ J_C-F . Spin-spin coupling constant calculations for a series of fluorinated tetrahydropyrans, cyclohexanones, and dihydropyran-3-ones indicated that an electrostatic/dipolar interaction between the C─F and C═O bonds is more important than the steric interaction between the C─F bond and the oxygen electron lone pairs. An intuitive consequence of such outcome is that this interaction not only drives the coupling constant but can also be taken into account when aiming at the stereochemical control of functionalized organofluorine compounds.

Interactions affecting 1JC–F SSCCs in neutral and ionic 2-, 3- and 4-fluoro-substituted piperidines: normal and reverse fluorine Perlin-like effect

We report a theoretical analysis of the ¹J_C–F spin–spin coupling constant (SSCC) in n-fluoropiperidines to find the dictating effects of ¹J_C–F and to obtain insight into the stereochemistry of organofluorine compounds using this SSCC.

The reverse fluorine Perlin-like effect and related stereoelectronic interactions

A similar effect to the well-known reverse Perlin effect was observed on the (1)JC-F coupling constants of α- and β-d-glucopyranosyl fluoride tetracetate, both in nonpolar and polar solution. This can be called "reverse fluorine Perlin-like effect", and it is shown to be ruled by dipolar interactions rather than by hyperconjugation. The reverse fluorine Perlin-like effect does not have a general relationship with the anomeric effect, and it can be useful to determine the structure and stereochemistry of organofluorine compounds.