Proton and Carbon‐13 NMR Studies of the Phencyclone Adducts of Medium Alkyl Chain‐Length N‐n‐Alkylmaleimides. Hindered Rotations and Magnetic Anisotropic Effects. Ab initio Calculations for Optimized Structures

Abstract

The Diels–Alder adducts, 3a–e, of phencyclone, 1, have been prepared from a series of N‐n‐alkylmaleimides, 2, with medium chain‐length n‐alkyl groups. The maleimides were obtained by cyclodehydration of the N‐n‐alkylmaleamic acids, 4, formed from reaction of maleic anhydride with the corresponding n‐alkylamines. The five adducts prepared included derivatives from n‐heptyl, 3a; n‐octyl, 3b; n‐nonyl, 3c; n‐decyl, 3d; and n‐dodecyl, 3e. The NMR spectra of the adducts were studied in CDCl3 at ambient temperatures at 300 MHz for proton and 75 MHz for carbon‐13, with full proton assignments achieved by high‐resolution COSY45 spectra for the aryl and the alkyl regions. Slow exchange limit (SEL) spectra were observed for both 1H and 13C spectra showing slow rotation on the NMR timescales of the unsubstituted bridgehead phenyl groups. Endo Diels–Alder adduct stereochemistry was supported by striking magnetic anisotropic shielding effects in the 1H spectra of the alkyl groups, with the NCH2 CH 2 signal of each adduct appearing upfield of tetramethylsilane (TMS) at ca. −0.32 ppm. Proton NMR spectra for precursor maleamic acids and maleimides are reported, with some solvent effects found (CDCl3 vs. d 6‐acetone) for the carbon‐bound HC˭CH protons of 4. Ab initio molecular modeling calculations at the Hartree‐Fock level using the 6‐31G* basis set have been performed for two key conformers of the phencyclone adduct of N‐n‐octylmaleimide, as a representative structure for these hindered adducts, to estimate geometric parameters for the adduct. A syn conformer, with the alkyl chain directed into the adduct cavity, was found to be ca. 0.23 kcal/mol lower energy than an anti conformer (in which the alkyl chain was directed away from the phenanthrenoid moiety).