How the Generalized Anomeric Effect Influences the Conformational Preference

The generalized anomeric effect refers to the conformational preference of a gauche structure over an anti structure for molecules with a R‐X‐C‐Y moiety. Whereas there are conflicting reports regarding the origin of this ubiquitous effect, a general consensus is that both the steric (more specifically electrostatic) and hyperconjugative interactions contribute. Here we employed the block‐localized wavefunction (BLW) method, which is the simplest variant of ab initio valence bond (VB) theory and can define reference electron‐localized states self‐consistently, to evaluate the magnitude of the hyperconjugation effect in a number of acyclic molecules exhibiting the generalized anomeric effect. The BLW‐based energy decomposition analysis revealed that both the steric and hyperconjugation effects contribute to the conformational preferences of methoxymethyl fluoride and methoxymethyl chlorides. But for the other systems under investigation, including methanediol, methanediamine, aminomethanol and dimethoxymethane, the hyperconjugative interactions play a negative role in the conformational preferences and the steric effect is solely responsible for the generalized anomeric effect.     

Probing the influence of solvent effects on the conformational behavior of 1,3-diazacyclohexane systems

The conformational behavior of a 1,3-diazacyclohexane system has been investigated using the DFT B3LYP/6-311+G** level of theory. The structural parameters and relative energies predicted that anomeric effects are operative in the conformations of 1,3-diazacyclohexane. The stability of conformers predicted in the solvent continuum model (water and acetonitrile) is similar to the gas-phase results. The explicit water molecules stabilized the least-stable conformer, and the predictive trend is opposite to that of the gas-phase results. The stability of the conformers in the gas phase is a compromise between avoiding repulsions and maximizing hyperconjugative stabilization. The NBO analysis suggests that the interactions of explicit solvent molecules with 1,3-diazacyclohexane conformers attenuate the anomeric stabilization. The hydrogen-bonding interactions of explicit solvent molecules with 1,3-diazacyclohexane swamped the anomeric effects to alter the conformational stability compared to the gas-phase and solvent continuum model studies.     

Atoms in molecules interpretation of the anomeric effect in the O--C--O unit

The conformational preferences of two model compounds for the O--CH2--O anomeric unit: methanediol and dimethoxymethane analyzed within the framework of the QTAIM theory provide a new interpretation of the anomeric effect. The characteristic stabilization of the gauche conformers of these compounds is accompanied by a progressive reduction of the electron population of the hydrogens of the central methylene as the number of their gauche interactions to lone pairs rises. The electron population removed from these atoms during the conformational change is gained in the gauche conformers by atoms of larger atomic number, which results in a more negative molecular energy. Also, the variations displayed by atomic populations and the QTAIM delocalization indexes are not keeping in line with the hyperconjugative model of the anomeric effect.     

Conformational equilibrium isotope effects in glucose by (13)C NMR spectroscopy and computational studies.

Anomeric equilibrium isotope effects for dissolved sugars are required preludes to understanding isotope effects for these molecules bound to enzymes. This paper presents a full molecule study of the alpha- and beta-anomeric forms of D-glucopyranose in water using deuterium conformational equilibrium isotope effects (CEIE). Using 1D (13)C NMR, we have found deuterium isotope effects of 1.043 +/- 0.004, 1.027 +/- 0.005, 1.027 +/- 0.004, 1.001 +/- 0.003, 1.036 +/- 0.004, and 0.998 +/- 0.004 on the equilibrium constant, (H/D)K(beta/alpha), in [1-(2)H]-, [2-(2)H]-, [3-(2)H]-, [4-(2)H]-, [5-(2)H]-, and [6,6'-(2)H(2)]-labeled sugars, respectively. A computational study of the anomeric equilibrium in glucose using semiempirical and ab initio methods yields values that correlate well with experiment. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of glucose and dihedral rotational equilibrium isotope effects in 2-propanol strongly imply a hyperconjugative mechanism for the isotope effects at H1 and H2. We conclude that the isotope effect at H1 is due to n(p) --> sigma* hyperconjugative transfer from O5 to the axial C1--H1 bond in beta-glucose, while this transfer makes no contribution to the isotope effect at H5. The isotope effect at H2 is due to rotational restriction of OH2 at 160 degrees in the alpha form and 60 degrees in the beta-sugar, with concomitant differences in n --> sigma* hyperconjugative transfer from O2 to CH2. The isotope effects on H3 and H5 result primarily from syn-diaxial steric repulsion between these and the axial anomeric hydroxyl oxygen in alpha-glucose. Therefore, intramolecular effects play an important role in isotopic perturbation of the anomeric equilibrium. The possible role of intermolecular effects is discussed in the context of recent molecular dynamics studies on aqueous glucose.     

Structural evidence of anomeric effects in the anesthetic isoflurane

The conformational and structural properties of the inhalational anesthetic isoflurane (1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether) have been probed in a supersonic jet expansion using Fourier-transform microwave (FT-MW) spectroscopy. Two conformers of the isolated molecule were identified from the rotational spectrum of the parent and several (37)Cl and (13)C isotopologues detected in natural abundance. The two most stable structures of isoflurane are characterized by an anti carbon skeleton (τ(C(1)-C(2)-O-C(3)) = 137.8(11)° or 167.4(19)°), differing in the trans (AT) or gauche (AG) orientation of the difluoromethyl group. The conformational abundances in the jet were estimated from relative intensity measurements as (AT)/(AG) ≈ 3:1. The structural preferences of the molecule have been rationalized with supporting ab initio calculations and natural-bond-orbital (NBO) analysis, which suggest that the molecule is stabilized by hyperconjugative effects. The NBO analysis of donor-acceptor (LP → σ*) interactions showed that these stereoelectronic effects decrease from the AT to AG conformations, so the conformational preferences can be accounted for in terms of the generalized anomeric effect.     

The role of carbonyl and thiocarbonyl groups in the conformational isomerism of haloacetones and halothioacetones

The presumable, but not well-known parallelism between carbonyl and thiocarbonyl groups as electron acceptors in conformational analysis is reported. Our theoretical investigation was carried out for model compounds, namely mono-haloacetones and mono-halothioacetones. Furthermore, the donor ability of C–H and C–halo bonds has been evaluated on the basis of natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and orbital levels calculations, and the conformational isomerism discussed in terms of classical and hyperconjugative interactions. It has been found that the conformational behavior of the titled compounds is strongly dependent on the π donor/acceptor behavior, which differs substantially between C=O and C=S systems, as well as on the steric/electrostatic and non-Lewis-type interactions involving the series of halogens.     

Recent synthetic approaches toward non-anomeric spiroketals in natural products

Many natural products of biological interest contain [6,5]- and [6,6]-spiroketal moieties that can adopt various configurations, benefiting or not from anomeric conformation stabilizing effects. The spiroketal fragments are often important for the biological activity of the compounds containing them. Most stable spiroketal stereoisomers, including those benefiting from conformational anomeric effects (gauche conformers can be more stable than anti conformers because of a contra-steric stabilizing effect), are obtained easily under acidic conditions that permit acetal heterolysis (formation of tertiary oxycarbenium ion intermediates). The synthesis of less stable stereoisomers requires stereoselective acetal forming reactions that do not permit their equilibration with their most stable stereoisomers or, in the case of suitably substituted derivatives, concomitant reactions generating tricyclic products that quench the less stable spiroketal conformers. Ingenuous approaches have been recently developed for the synthesis of naturally occurring [6,6]- and [5,6]-nonanomeric spiroketals and analogues. The identification of several parameters that can influence the stereochemical outcome of spirocyclization processes has led to seminal improvements in the selective preparation of the non-anomeric isomers that are discussed herein. This review also gives an up-dated view of conformational anomeric effect which represents a small fraction of the enthalpic anomeric effect that makes gem-dioxy substituted compounds much more stable that their 1,n-dioxy substituted isomers (n > 1). Although models assuming sp3-hybridized oxygen atoms have been very popular (rabbit ears for the two non-bonding electron pairs of oxygen atom), sp2-hybridized oxygen atoms are used to describe the conformational anomeric effect.     

Substituent-dependent anomeric effects as a source of conformational preference in pyridinium methylides

A systematic density functional theory level investigation of differently substituted pyridinium methylides was carried out to determine the role of C(ylidic) lone-pair-associated hyperconjugative and negative hyperconjugative interactions in deciding conformational preferences. Deviation from the coplanar orientation of the carbanionic center with the pyridine ring and its substituent dependence has been found to correlate well with the relative opportunities for conjugative and negative hyperconjugative interactions of a ylidic moiety with different substituent groups present at the ylidic carbon. The contribution of individual n-->pi* conjugative, n-->sigma* negative hyperconjugative, and sigma-->pi* hyperconjugative interactions in a particular conformation of pyridinium dichlorophosphinomethylides was assessed from donor-acceptor stabilization energies, as obtained from natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. The relative extent of conjugative and negative hyperconjugative interactions with the substituents present at the ylidic carbon plays an important role in permitting the delocalization of ylidic charge into the pyridine ring, thereby controlling the relative orientation of the latter with the carbanionic plane.     

Topological phase transitions in the vibration–rotation dynamics of an isolated molecule

A computational investigation of anomeric effects in piperidine rings bearing fluoro and trifluoromethyl substituents shows for both compounds the most pronounced evidence of the anomeric effect, as expressed as hyperconjugative delocalization of the nitrogen lone pair, in structures with the substituent in the axial position and the N–H bond in the equatorial position. This structure is the lowest-energy structure in the fluoro case but not in the trifluoromethyl case where there is an increased axial penalty associated with the CF₃ group. The anomeric effect is characterized via geometrical evidence, natural bond orbital analysis, electrostatic effects, and energetic criteria. Computational results from a variety of levels of theory are presented including CCSD(T) with complete basis set extrapolation, B2PLYP-D, ωB97XD, B97-D, M06-2X, B3LYP, and MP2 allowing for a comparison of performance. The CCSD(T)/CBS results are very well represented by either B2PLYP-D or ωB97XD with moderate to large basis sets (aug-cc-pVTZ or aug-cc-pVDZ). Hyperconjugation, electrostatic effects, and steric effects play a role in the relative energetic ordering of the isomers considered.     

The hetero-Diels-Alder addition of sulfur dioxide: the pseudo-chair conformation of a 4,5-dialkylsultine

Even unsubstituted butadiene adds to sulfur dioxide in the hetero-Diels-Alder mode more rapidly than in the chelotropic mode. The sultine can be observed in equilibrium with the diene and the sulfur dioxide only at low temperature and in the presence of CF(3)COOH. Crystals of 4,5-dialkyl-sultine resulting from the SO(2) addition to 1,2-dimethylidenecyclohexane have been obtained at -100 degrees C and analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Quantum chemical calculations have shown that hyperconjugative interactions within the sulfinyl moiety are responsible for the anomeric effects observed in sultines that prefer pseudo-chair conformations with pseudo-axial Sdbond;O bonds.     

Correlation of the C-1′ chemical shifts with the vicinal spin-spin coupling constants of the H-1′ and H-2′ protons in nucleosides. II. 2′-, 3′-, and 5′-O-substituted nucleosides

The existence of a correlation has been established for pyrimidine but not for purine, nucleosides. It is suggested that the change in the chemical shift of the anomeric carbon is a consequence of 1,2-eclipsing interaction between O-2′ and N-1′ in the S type of conformation of the ribose ring. Possible reason for the absence of a correlation in the case of purine nucleosides are discussed. It is shown that the chemical shift of the anomeric carbon can be used in the conformational analysis of the ribose rings of pyrimidine nucleosides.     

Substituent-dependent negative hyperconjugation in 2-aryl-1,3-N,N-heterocycles. fine-tuned anomeric effect?

The epimerization reactions of conformationally inflexible 2-aryl-1,3-N,N-heterocycles were used as model systems to study the role of the nitrogen lone pair-C2 associated antibonding orbital hyperconjugative interactions in the experimentally observed substituent-dependent generalized anomeric effect. The measured reaction free enthalpies were found to correlate well with the sum of the hyperconjugative stabilization energies of all the vicinal donor-acceptor orbital overlaps around C2, obtained from ab initio NBO analysis, and both quantities correlated linearly with the Hammett-Brown substituent constant. The individual stereoelectronic interactions (n(N)-sigma(C2)(-)(N), n(N)-sigma(C2)(-)(Ar), n(N)-sigma(C2)(-)(H)) were also observed to exhibit a substituent dependence, despite their distance from the 2-aryl substituent and their nonperiplanar arrangement. The higher the electron-withdrawing effect of the 2-aryl substituent, the larger was the stabilization for n(N)-sigma(C2)(-)(Ar), while the overlaps n(N)-sigma(C2)(-)(N) and n(N)-sigma(C2)(-)(H) changed in the opposite sense. The different polarization of the acceptor sigma orbitals, caused by the 2-aryl substituent, accounted for the observed propagation of the substituent effect. These results promote a detailed explanation of the useful tautomeric behavior of the 2-aryl-1,3-X,N-heterocycles, and reveal the nature of the connection between the anomeric effect and the Hammett-type linear free energy relationship.     

Strain release in conformational and geometric adaptation of moderately and highly congested systems: Interplay of small structural effects

Local and global steric strains are studied by spectroscopy and crystallography and by theoretical models. Double-bond and heteroatom pair contributions are investigated with regard to cyclic and acyclic hydrocarbons. Theoretical investigation of steric strain release (SSR) through conformational dodging and geometric deformation from molecular standard values reveals details about congested structures which are not accessible through experimentation. Qualitative rules concerning access to blocked sites—distorted gem-6 structures, bi-sected double bonds—and the control of anomeric structures are understood through studying SSR processes based on the interplay of the Pitzer or related strain and of the hyperconjugative effect, the ring or backbone strain and various through-space interactions (TSI). The empirical and semi-empirical computational modelization of strain release processes leading to the control of complex rotations disclose surprising flexibility in hyper-crowded molecules.     

Molecular conformation and hyperconjugation. P-C-hyperconjugation and the conformation of vinyl-, allyl-, phenyl- and benzylphosphines

The photoelectron (PE) spectra of di-n-butylmethylphosphine, tri-n-butylphosphine, di-n-butylvinylphosphine, allyldi-n-butylphosphine, di-n-butylphenylphosphine, and benzyldi-n-butylphosphine, have been interpreted to exclude n/π-, d/π- and inductive interactions between the α- and β-phosphinyl substituents and the π-electron systems. Instead, PC/π (hyperconjugative)-interaction has been detected in all these π-systems for the first time; the vinyl-, phenyl-, allyl- and benzylphosphines must exist in ground-state conformations which allow hyperconjugation. A comparison with corresponding vinyl- and allysilanes suggests that, contrary to the vinyl-phosphines, d/π-conjugation is important in vinylsilanes. The CNDO/2-method is used to specify phosphine conformations more fully and to support the new conformational conclusions theoretically.     

Simultaneous gauche and Anomeric Effects in α-Substituted Sulfoxides

α-Substituted sulfoxides can experience both gauche and anomeric effects, since these compounds have the geometric requirements and strong electron donor and acceptor orbitals which are essential to make operative the hyperconjugative nature of these effects. Indeed, the title effects were calculated to take place for 1,3-oxathiane 3-oxide in polar solution, where dipolar effects are absent or at least minimized, while only the gauche effect is present in 2-fluorothiane 1-oxide. Since the fluorine atom is a suitable probe for structural analysis using NMR, the (1)J(CF) dependence on the rotation around the F-C-S═O dihedral angle of (fluoromethyl)methyl sulfoxide was evaluated; differently from 1,2-difluoroethane and fluoro(methoxy)methane, this coupling constant is at least not exclusively dependent on dipolar interactions (or on hyperconjugation). Because of the nonmonotonic behavior of the (1)J(CF) rotational profile, this coupling constant does not appear to be of significant diagnostic value for probing the conformations of α-fluoro sulfoxides.     

Role of the anomeric effect in methanediamines in the gas phase and aqueous solutions

An ab initio study of methylenediamine and several methylated derivatives in the gas phase and aqueous solution was performed. The conformational preferences can be considered adequately described at the HF/6‐31G**//HF/6‐31G** level, because these results agree with those obtained using larger basis sets and including ZPE and electron correlation. The energy ordering is clearly dependent on the number and position of the methyl groups present in a molecule. For a first set of the compounds, the energies obtained were interpreted in terms of the anomeric effect because the favored conformers show two or one anti orientation between the nitrogen lone pair and the C N polar bond. Reverse anomeric effects were found for a second set of compounds. The NBO analysis was used to interpret these energetic tendencies and the rotational barrier around the N C bonds. Thus, the preference for the anti‐Lp N C N orientations is mainly due to charge delocalization, always stronger than the electrostatic and steric contributions included in the Lewis term. However, the origin for the reverse anomeric effect may be related to the steric hindrance associated with the methylation. The influence of water on the conformational preferences was evaluated by means of the PCM method. Contrary to expectation, the anomeric effect is not reduced in water, and the most stable conformers in the gas phase are maintained in solution. The electrostatic term of the free solvation energy is the main responsible of the energetic changes, and depends strongly on local solute–solvent interactions. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 135–150, 2001     

Dismantling the Hyperconjugation of π-Conjugated Phosphorus Heterocycles

The development of π-extended phosphorus heterocycles has been rapidly increasing because of their unique optoelectronics properties, which are very often considered to be a consequence of special hyperconjugative interactions. However, the latter interactions have primarily been investigated within the five-membered species, phospholes, and they are often conceptually extrapolated to the rest of π-extended phosphorus heterocycles (including six-membered P-heterocycles) despite evident structural differences. Herein, we report, for the first time, a detailed investigation that sheds light on the hyperconjugative effects of a series of phosphorus heterocyclic systems by means of EDA and NBO calculations within a DFT framework. Our results lay the foundations for the future design of π-extended phosphorus heterocycles with improved optoelectronics properties.     

A study on the conformation-anomeric effect-stereoselectivity relationship in anomeric radical reactions,using conformationally restricted glucose derivatives as substrates

We previously theorized that, since the stereoselectivity of anomeric radical reactions is significantly influenced by the kinetic anomeric effect, which can be controlled by restricting the conformation of the radical intermediate, the proper conformational restriction of the pyranose ring of the substrates would therefore make highly alpha- and beta-stereoselective anomeric radical reactions possible. This theory was based on our previous results of the anomeric radical reactions with d-xylose derivatives as the substrates. We herein report the anomeric radical deuteration reactions with the conformationally restricted 1-phenylseleno-d-glucose derivatives, 2g and 3g, restricted in a (4)C(1)-conformation by an O-cyclic diketal moiety, and 4g, 5g, 6g, 7g, and 8g, restricted in a (1)C(4)-conformation by bulky O-silyl protecting groups. The radical deuterations with Bu(3)SnD, using the (4)C(1)-restricted substrates 2g and 3g, afforded the corresponding alpha-products (alpha/beta = 98:2) highly stereoselectively, whereas the (1)C(4)-restricted substrate 6g, having a trigonal (sp(2)) carbon substituent, i.e., -CHO, at the 5-position, selectively gave the beta-products (alpha/beta = 0:100). Thus, the stereoselectivity was significantly increased by the conformational restriction and was completely inverted by changing the substrate conformation from the (4)C(1)-form to the (1)C(4)-form. On the other hand, the deuterations with the (1)C(4)-restricted substrates 4g and 5g showed that the 1,5-steric effect due to the tetrahedral carbon substituent (-CH(2)OTIPS or -CH(2)OH) at the 5-axial position dominantly prevented the hydride transfer from the beta-face competing with the kinetic anomeric effect. This study suggests that, depending on the restricted conformation of the substrates to the (4)C(1)- or the (1)C(4)-form, the alpha- or beta-products would be obtained highly stereoselectively via anomeric radical reactions of hexopyranoses.     

Stereoelectronic effects in negatively and positively (Protonated) charged species. Ab initio studies of the gauche effect in 1,4-dioxa systems

A computational study ab initio of the conformational dependence of proton affinities of 2-methoxyethoxide (MEO), dimethoxyethane (DME), and 1,4-dioxane has been carried out at the MP2/6-31+G level of theory. The results were discussed in comparison with reference systems, from simple alkoxides and ethers to anomeric moieties, in open, cyclic, and bicyclic molecules. The COCCOC species are stronger bases than the COCOC (anomeric) ones and approach regular ethers in their strength. The gauche forms in MEO and DME are altogether stronger bases than the anti forms, and anti (equatorial) protonation is preferred over gauche (axial), unless ditopic protonation is possible, like in aga-DME or cis-tetraoxadecalin. The gauche effect plays a significant role in the formation, relative stability, and reactivity of the charged species.     

Conformational preferences in methylsilane and disilane. A quantitative non-empirical analysis of the importance of the hyperconjugative interactions

We have investigated the importance of the hyperconjugative interactions in determining the conformational preferences in methylsilane and disilane, and for comparative purposes also in ethane, using a procedure that provides quantitative information about the energy effects associated with orbital interactions. It is found that (1) these interactions are in all cases destabilizing and less destabilizing in the staggered conformation and that (2) in the absence of these interactions, in ethane the staggered conformer is still more stable, while in methylsilane and disilane the eclipsed conformer becomes more stable.We have also investigated the effects of each type of orbital interaction in terms of a quantitative perturbational analysis.