Conformational behavior of some hydroxamic acids

The conformational preferences of a few hydroxamic acids are investigated by the density functional B3LYP/6-311++G**//B3LYP16-31G* and semiempirical AM1 and PM3 methods in this work. It is found that both semiempirical methods give satisfactory results in comparison with sophisticated DFT and ab initio calculations, except for the activation barriers, which are overestimated. Of the two semiempirical methods, while the PM3 method gives better results for relative stabilities, AM1 geometries are in slightly better agreement with the experiments. The keto forms are found to be most stable and the reaction pathways for the interconversion between the keto and enol forms have been deduced. The effect of solvation on the reaction has also been investigated, as has the effect of methyl substitution at the carbon and nitrogen atoms. All the investigated acids exhibit N-acid behavior.