Prototropic behavior of cyclohexane substituted urethane and urea compounds. Observation of H-bond mediated 4HJH1H3 coupling constants across urea fragments

Abstract

Two 1-aryl-3-cyclohexylurea and two 1-aryl-3-cyclohexylurethane with and without alkyl tail in aryl fragments were synthesized and their variable-temperature 1H NMR spectra in chloroform, DMSO and DMF were recorded. The temperature dependences of chemical shift of NH protons for all compounds have been observed. The type of dependence has been explained by the aggregation of molecules and formation of ionic structures. The formation of intermolecular complexes leads to possible formation of symmetrical N1 … … H ……N3 intramolecular hydrogen bond in urea fragment. As a result,4hJH1H3 trans-hydrogen bond scalar coupling constants have been observed for the first time in low molecular weight compounds using a simple one-dimensional 1H NMR experiment. The formation of strong intramolecular H-bond leads to π-conjugation not only with spacer but with phenyl ring too. It support the Gilli conception that RAHB formation is a result of π-electron delocalization. The presence in urea fragment of such kind interaction leads to formation of ionic structure, which has been detected by NMR and UV spectroscopies. The formation of ionic structure can explain the catalytic activity of such compounds and the mechanism of transformation in organic and bioorganic reactions in which involved the urea compounds.