Cooperative effects in restricted rotations of aryl groups in 2,4,6,8-tetraary-3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes and related systems

The free energies, enthalpies and entropies of activation for the rotation of the aryl groups in the N,N′-dimethyl and N,N′-dichloro derivatives of rel-(2R,4S,6S,8R)-2,4,6,8-tetrakisaryl-3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes have been determined and compared with related tricyclic systems which cannot undergo chair-to-boat conformational changes. It is concluded on the basis of the large, negative value of ΔS³ for rotation of the 2(4) aryl group that this rotational process is correlated with rotation of the 8(6) aryl group. The 8(6) aryl group can however rotate independently of the 2(4)-aryl group. The usefulness of the entropies of activation as a criterion for cooperative rotation of groups is briefly discussed.