Theoretical investigation of differences of optical rotation, electronic circular dichroism and vibrational circular dichroism of α-hydroxyl cyclic ketones and esters as monomers or dimers in solution

Abstract

To understand or identify whether a dimer forms or not derived from a chiral compound via H-bonds in solution is critically important. In our previous study, sotolon 1 has two methyl groups, it can form dimers in solution, but maple furanone 2, derived from 1, has one ethyl group and one methyl group, it cannot form dimer. This could be checked by using chiroptical spectroscopies of optical rotation (OR), electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). In this study, four methods was used for the chiral α-hydroxyl ketones and esters (3–8). B3LYP and MPW1PM91 methods with four sets were used to calculate OR, ECD and VCD. The theoretical results exhibited that VCD method could provide more details and promises to ultimately distinguish between the presence of monomer or dimer in solution.