Ab Initio Study of Conformational Properties of ( Z, Z)-, ( E, Z)-, and ( E, E)-Cyclonona-1,5-dienes

Ab initio calculations at the HF/6-31G^* level of theory for geometry optimization and MP2/6-31G^*//HF/6-31G^* for a single point total energy calculation are reported for the important energy-minimum conformations and transition-state geometries of (Z,Z)-, (E,Z)-, and (E,E)-cyclonona-1,5-dienes. The C₂ symmetric chair conformation of (Z,Z)-cyclonona-1,5-diene is calculated to be the most stable form; the calculated energy barrier for ring inversion of the chair conformation via the C_s symmetric boat-chair geometry is 58.3kJmol^–1. Interconversion between chair and twist-boat-chair (C₁) conformations takes place via the twist (C₁) as intermediate. The unsymmetrical twist conformation of (E,Z)-cyclonona-1,5-diene is the most stable form. Ring inversion of this conformation takes place via the unsymmetrical chair and boat-chair geometries. The calculated strain energy for this process is 63.5kJmol^–1. The interconversion between twist and the boat-chair conformations can take place by swiveling of the trans double bond with respect to the cis double bond and requires 115.6kJmol^–1. The most stable conformation of (E,E)-cyclonona-1,5-diene is the C₂ symmetric twist-boat conformation of the crossed family, which is 5.3kJmol^–1 more stable than the C_s symmetric chair–chair geometry of the parallel family. Interconversion of the crossed and parallel families can take place by swiveling of one of the double bonds and requires 142.0kJmol^–1.