1H and 13C NMR studies on 1,3,2-dioxarsolanes

The ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of a series of 1,3,2-dioxarsolanes have been obtained at 2.1 T and some at 9.4 T. The chemical shifts and spin-spin coupling constants have been obtained from complete spectral analyses of the ¹H and proton-coupled ¹³C spectra. The spectral data are interpreted on the basis of two rapidly interconverting half-chair conformers with a pseudoaxial substituent at arsenic. Unique assignment of syn/anti or cis/trans geometries have been made from ¹H or ¹³C NMR spectroscopy alone. The syn and trans isomers of the 4-methyl- and 4,5-dimethyl-1,3,2-dioxarsolanes, respectively, appear to be conformationally biased towards the forms with pseudoequatorial methyl groups. The general trends in the geminal and vicinal ¹H? ¹H and ¹³C? ¹H coupling constants are interpreted in terms of stereospecific, electronegativity and lone-pair effects of the oxygen heteroatoms and conformational factors. The NMR data on the 1,3,2-dioxarsolanes are discussed with reference to related 1,3-dithoxa- and 1,3-dithia- five-membered rings with As, P, S or C at the 2-position.