Conformational Studies of Marine Polyhalogenated α-Chamigrenes Using Temperature-dependent NMR spectra inverted-chair and twist-boat cyclohexane moieties in the presence of an axial halogen atom at C(8)

α-Chamigren-3-one (+) -8 bearing an axial CI-atom at C(8) exists as a largely dominant conformer with Me—C(5) at the envelope-shaped enone ring pointing away from CI_ax?C(8) at the cyclohexane ring (= B) in the ‘normal’ chair conformation, as shown by ¹H-NMR. In contrast, the α-chamigren-3-ols (+) -9 and (+) -10 , obtained from hydride reduction of (+) -8 , show a temperature-dependent equilibrium of conformers where the major conformers have ring B in the inverted-chair (and twist-boat for (+) -9 ) conformation to avoid repulsions between Me?C(5) and CI_ax–C(8) (Scheme 1). This is in agreement with the conformation of the epoxidation product (+) -12 of (+) -9 where Me–C(5) is pushed away from CI_ax–C(8) in a ring-B chair similar to that of (+) -8 (Scheme 2). Introduction of a pseudoequatorial Br-atom at C(2) of (+) -8 , as in enone (+) -15 (Scheme 3), does not affect the conformation; but a pseudoaxial Br? C(2) experiences repulsive interactions with H_eq–C(7), as shown by the ¹H-NMR data of the isomeric enone (+) -16 where the ‘normal’-chair conformer Cβ -16 is in an equilibrium with the inverted chair conformer ICβ -16 (Scheme 3). These results and the accompanying paper allow a unifying view on the conformational behavior of marine polyhalogenated α-chamigrenes. This view is supported by the acid-induced isomerization of α-chamigrene (+) -9 (inverted chair) to β-chamigrene (+) -17 (‘normal’ chair; Scheme 4), the driving force being the lesser space requirement of CH₂?C(5) than of Me–C(5). This explains why β-chamigrenes are so common in nature.