Conformational Behaviour of Substituted 2-Methoxy-2-Oxo-1,2-Oxaphospholan-3-Ols

Abstract

Conformational behaviour of about 30 2-methoxy-2-oxo-1,2- oxaphospho l an-3-0 1 s containing various substituents was examined by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. Vicinal coupling constants J(HCCH), J(HCCP), J(HCOP), J(CCOP) and J(CCCP) were employed in this study. Conformation of the 1,2-oxaphospholane ring is governed almost exclusively by substituents at C-3, C-4 and C-5, as we l l as by their orientation. The configuration of the P atom has little or no influence on conformation of the ring in diastsreomeric pairs. Strong preference of phenyl, methyl and substituted methyl groups to occupy the equatorial or pseudoequatoria l positions was observed for all but one compounds studied. In the cis-fused bicyclic syst ems conformat ionally rigid 6-membered rings forced the 1,2-oxaphospholane rings to adopt an enve l ope-l ike (E₄) conformation. No influence of the p=o……HO-C-3 hydrogen bond on conformation of the 1,2-oxaphospholane ring was found. Preferred conformations for (2R, 3R, 4R)-3-(hydroxymethyI)-2-methoxy-2-oxo-1,2-oxaphospho lane-3,4-diol and its triacetate are shown below.