Two-Dimensional Proton Chemical Shift Correlated NMR Spectroscopy of Digitoxose1

Abstract

The hydroxyl proton coupled ¹H NMR spectra of solutions of β-d-digitoxopyranose and of an equilibrated mixture of the four ring forms of d-digitoxose in dimethylsulfoxide-d ₆ have been assigned completely by two-dimensional, proton chemical shift correlated NMR spectroscopy and spin decoupling at 400 MHz. Analysis of resolution enhanced, one-dimensional ¹H NMR spectra yielded an almost complete set of CH and OH proton-proton coupling constants for the four ring forms. The free aldehydo form of d-digitoxose in dimethylsulfoxide-d ₆ solution has been detected by means of its characteristic H-l quartet at 6 9.687. Quantitative analysis of the equilibrated mixture of the five forms of d-digitoxose gave the composition:- α-pyranose, β-pyranose, α-furanose, β-furanose, aldehydo form, 11.2, 67.3, 8.4, 13.0, and 0.1%, respectively. The ⁴ C ₁ chair conformations have been assigned to the α- and β-pyranose forms by analysis of the coupling constants and are discussed qualitatively in terms of their relative stabilities.