Effects of methyl groups on the geometry and conformational equilibrium of 1,3-dioxanes

The geometries and energies of polymethyl-1,3-dioxanes were studied by molecular mechanics calculations. Buttressing effects of the Me groups are discussed. The chair/twist conformational equilibrium of 1,3-dioxanes having two syn-axial Me groups in the chair were calculated, and a twist form (the 1,4-twist) is found to be more stable than the chair only for 9 and 14, chair and 2,5-twist form are of comparable energies for 10 and 13, and the chair is considerably favored in 11 and 12. The chair/1,4-twist energy difference of 1 was calculated to be only 16.4 kJ mol^?1. Ring inversion of 1 goes through a transition state with C-C-C-O coplanar with a calculated activation enthalpy of 28.3 kJ mol^?1.