Half-chair conformations of unsaturated heterocyclic compounds

The vicinal proton coupling constants were obtained for some 6-membered ring unsaturated heterocyclic compounds. The R values and ring dihedral angles were determined and found to be consistent with half-chair conformations. Relative to saturated heterocyclic compounds, the effect of the sulfur atom on ring puckering was attenuated. However, an increase in ring puckering resulted from the sulfone group and was attributed to torsional energy.