title: Stereodynamics of 9,11-Diphenyl-10-azatetracyclo[6.3.0.0.(4,11)0.(5,9)]undecanes. Highly Restricted Nitrogen Inversion and Isolated Phenyl Rotation. X-ray Crystallographic, Dynamic NMR, and Molecular Mechanics Studies.
abstract: The (1)H NMR spectra of 10-benzyl-9,11-diphenyl-10-azatetracyclo[6.3.0.0.(4,11)0.(5,9)]undecane (BnPh(2)()) and 10-methyl-9,11-diphenyl-10-azatetracyclo[6.3.0.0.(4,11)0.(5,9)]undecane (MePh(2)()) decoalesce due to slowing inversion at nitrogen and to slowing isolated bridgehead phenyl rotation. The high nitrogen inversion barriers in MePh(2)() (DeltaG() = 12.2 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 250 K) and BnPh(2)() (DeltaG() = 10.6 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 215 K) are typical of tertiary amines in which at least one C-N-C bond angle is constrained to a small value. Compared to the minuscule rotation barriers about sp(2)-sp(3) carbon-carbon bonds in simple molecular systems, the bridgehead phenyl rotation barriers in MePh(2)() (DeltaG() = 9.8 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 210 K) and BnPh(2)() (DeltaG() = 9.8 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol at 210 K) are unusually high. Molecular mechanics calculations (MMX force field) suggest that the origin of the high phenyl rotation barriers lies in the close passage of an o-phenyl proton and a methyl (or benzylmethylene) proton in the transition state. BnPh(2)() crystallized from hexane as white needles in the monoclinic system Pn. Unit cell dimensions are as follows: a = 12.198(1) Å, b = 6.1399(6) Å, c = 14.938(2) Å, beta = 107.470(4) degrees, V = 1067.1(2) Å(3), Z = 2. In the crystal molecular structure, the imine bridge CNC bond angle in BnPh(2)() is constrained to a small value (96 degrees ). The benzylic phenyl group is oriented gauche to the nitrogen lone pair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The J. D. McCullough X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569.
authors.forename: Gordon W.
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Gribble
authors.forename: Frank L.
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Switzer
authors.forename: John H.
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bushweller
authors.forename: John G.
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jewett
authors.forename: Jay H.
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Jessica L.
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dion
authors.forename: C. Hackett
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bushweller
authors.forename: Marianne P.
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Byrn
authors.forename: Charles E.
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Strouse