Conformations of Z- and E-isomers of some chiral (1R,4R)-2-arylidene-p-menthan-3-ones

The ¹Í NMR method in combination with molecular simulation was used to study conformations of Z- and E-isomers of (1R,4R)-cis-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)benzylidene-p-menthan-3-one. In solutions the Z-isomer, unlike the conformationally uniform Å-isomer, is an equilibrium mixture of chair conformers with the substantial predomination of one form with the axially oriented methyl and equatorial isopropyl groups (75—78%). The enone group is more nonplanar in the Z-isomer than in the Å-isomer. For the isopropyl fragment, the equiprobable existence of trans- and two gauche-rotamers for the Z-isomer and a substantial predomination of gauche-forms in the case of the E-isomer were established.