First example of conformational exchange in a natural taxane enolate

A detailed NMR study and full assignments of the (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectral data for a novel enolate taxane isolated from Taxus canadensis needles is described. The structures of two stable conformers were established using a combination of 1D and 2D NMR techniques including (1)H, (1)H-COSY, gs-HMQC, gs-HMBC, NOESY and T-ROESY. Ab initio quantum mechanical calculations were performed on the B3LYP/6-31G* level of basis set to assist the NMR findings.