The geometry of 4-(1-ethoxyethylidene)-5-oxazolones and thiazolones: 1H and 13C studies and the crystal structure of 4-[(Z)-1-ethoxyethylidene]-2-phenyl-5-oxazolone

Abstract

A series of E and Z isomers of substituted 4-(1-ethoxyethylidene)-5-oxazolones and thiazolones have been prepared and their 1H and 13C spectra recorded. The vinylic methyl 1H chemical shifts showed minimal differences between E and Z isomers whereas the vinylic OCH21H signals differed by 0.15–0.43 ppm, with the Z isomer being consistently the more deshielded. Both vinylic methyl and OCH2 groups showed different 13C resonances for each isomer, with the Z isomers being the more deshielded. The Z geometry was conclusively defined for one isomer of 4-(1-ethoxyethylidene)-2-phenyl-5-oxazolone, 5, by X-ray crystallography and this was sufficient to assign the geometry of the remaining pairs of E and Z isomers. Oxazolone 5 has the space group P21/n and cell dimensions a = 9.219(3), b = 19.899(5), c = 7.459(1) Å, β = 118.01(2)°, and has four formula units in the unit cell. Intensities were measured with use of MoKα radiation and a Nicolet P3 diffractometer. The crystal structure was determined by standard methods and refined to R1 = 0.0709, R2 = 0.0696 based on 1419 independent reflections. The molecule is essentially planar and most bond lengths and angles are normal. Exceptions are the very short C(olefin)—O(ether) bond (1.339(4) Å) and the large ether C—O—C angle (122.1(3)°) caused by extreme delocalization in the O(ether)CCCO(carbonyl) system. The planarity causes a number of strong intramolecular repulsive interactions, causing an exceptionally small external olefin angle, O(ether)CC(methyl), of 108.1(4)°. The ethoxyl side chain of 5 adopts a conformation in the solid state which places the methylene of the OCH2 group adjacent to the oxazole ring nitrogen. This conformation is proposed to persist in solution phases and is consistent with the observed 13C chemical shifts and known γ and δ substituent effects.