Conformational effects in compounds with 6-membered rings—XII : The conformational equilibrium in n-methylpiperidine

The conformational equilibrium at nitrogen in N-methylpiperidines has been determined in the gas phase (ΔG°₂₈₈ ? 13.2 ± 0.4 kJ mol^?1) and for dilute solutions in several solvents (ΔG°₂₉₃ ranging from 12.5 ± 0.4 in dodecane to 10.1 ± 0.4 in chloroform) by kinetically controlled protonation of anancomeric model compounds 6 and 8 at the interface between the pipendine-containing phase and an immiscible strong acid. The conformational energy for N-methylpiperidine determined by this method is strikingly higher than earlier estimates based on less direct methods but is supported by independent evidence from the temperature dependence of ¹³C NMR chemical shifts. Reconsideration of the more important of the earlier methods indicates that these involved invalid or unproven assumptions and that the low values of ΔG° for N-methylpiperidine derived from them are not reliable.