The 2-Norbornyl Cation is not a Single Minimum Energy System

1-Norbornyl cation may be in equilibrium with 2-norbornyl cation

New 1H and 13C NMR 400 MHZ spectra of the 2-Nb cation under stable ion conditions, for example, in SbF5/SO2F2/SO2ClF, −80 oC, show besides the usual 1H NMR resonances at δ 4.93, 2.82, 1.85, the never before seen singlet, δ 9.63, and doublet, δ 2.97 (J2,6 = 16.6 Hz), ratio 1.00 : 1.07, proposed to be due to resonance-stabilized bridgehead 1-Nb cationic enantiomers in equilibrium with 2-Nb cation. The corresponding 13C proton-coupled NMR spectrum, −80 oC, has a C3,5,7 triplet, δ 30.45, J(CH) = 139.14 Hz, and C4 doublet, δ 37.7, J(CH) = 154.54 Hz. The C1,2,6 absorption, δ 91.04 is relatively broad, whereas previously, at −70 oC, it was a pentuplet. The 13C proton-decoupled spectrum at −80 oC shows the C4 doublet and C3,5,7 triplet collapsed to a singlet, but the C1,2,6 resonance is still broad. Analyses support the slowing exchange between resonance stabilized enantiomeric 2-cations at ≤ –159 oC. Some future studies are proposed.