A comparative quantum chemical study of ethylcarbonium ion and hydroxymethylcarbonium ion

Nonempirical molecular orbital calculations of the energies of CH₃CH (ethylcarbonium ion) and HOCH (hydroxymethylcarbonium ion) as a function of rotation about the C? C or C? O bonds and deviation from coplanarity at the carbonium ion center are reported. As expected, and in agreement with previous work, both carbonium centers are planar and there is no barrier to rotation in the planar ethylcarbonium ion. However, for the planar configuration at carbon, the conjugative interaction between oxygen and carbon produces a barrier to rotation about the C? O bond of HOCH of 19.6 Kcal/mole. When a pyramidal geometry is imposed upon the carbonium ion center of CH₃CH, a typical three-fold barrier results. As the deviation from coplanarity increases there is a regular increase in the barrier height (1.72 Kcal/mole at the tetrahedral geometry), but the energy minimum remains at the same position in each case (60°). For HOCH, imposition of a pyramidal geometry on the carbonium ion center causes a change in both rotational barriers. One decreases slightly (from 19.6 to 15.4 Kcal/mole) and the other increases to 30.5 Kcal/mole. There is an accompanying change in the position of the minimum of the rotational potential, from 90° towards the gauche structure.