The microwave spectrum of piperidine: Equatorial and axial ground states

The microwave spectra of piperidine and N-deuterated piperidine were investigated between 8 and 40 GHz. The ground states of both equatorial and axial conformers have been identified by both type-A and type-C transitions, and the substitution coordinates of the imino hydrogen have been determined for both conformers. Dipole-moment components for the equatorial conformer are μ_a = 0.178 D, μ_c = 0.80 D, μ = 0.82 D, and for the axial conformer are μ_a = 1.07 D, μ_c = 0.521 D, μ = 1.19 D. The quadrupole coupling constants for the axial conformer are: χ_aa = ?3.80 MHz, χ_bb = 2.91 MHz, χ_cc = 0.83 MHz and for the equatorial conformer χ_cc = ?4.83 MHz. The rotational constants indicate a significant flattening of the ring in axial piperidine compared with equatorial piperidine. The equatorial conformer is the more abundant; intensity measurements on several sets of lines indicate the excess energy of the axial conformer to be 3.1 ± 0.3 kJ mole^?1. This represents a significant change from our earlier reported value and is now more in line with measurements obtained by other methods.