Direct NMR measurement of rotation rates: solvent effects on rotation barriers

Abstract

Abstract2,2,4,4‐Tetramethyl‐3‐{2‐[3,4‐dialkoxy‐5‐(3‐pyridyl)]thienyl}pentan‐3‐ols self‐associate both in the solid state and in solution. The IR spectra of the solids display a broad OH absorption at 3320 cm−1, corresponding to an intermolecularly hydrogen‐bonded syn rotamer, probably a dimer, as well as absorptions around 3500 cm−1 of the intramolecularly hydrogen‐bonded anti form. Well‐crystallized samples of these derivatives go into solution in the syn form but undergo rotation to the anti rotamer at a rate which can be measured directly by proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The diethoxy derivative was studied in a wide variety of solvents. The activation energy for syn→anti rotation is practically solvent‐independent, whereas that of the reverse reaction falls in hydrogen‐bonding solvents, by more than 2 kcal mol−1 on going from chloroform or benzene to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). By combining direct measurements at low temperature and Dynamic Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (DNMR) results at high temperature, rotation rates were evaluated over a range of more than 100 K, and significantly large negative activation entropies determined. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.