title: Determination of the absolute configurations of natural products via density functional theory calculations of vibrational circular dichroism, electronic circular dichroism, and optical rotation: the iridoids plumericin and isoplumericin.
abstract: The absolute configurations (ACs) of the iridoid natural products, plumericin (1) and isoplumericin (2), have been re-investigated using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy, and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD). Comparison of DFT calculations of the VCD spectra of 1 and 2 to the experimental VCD spectra of the natural products, (+)-1 and (+)-2, leads unambiguously to the AC (1R,5S,8S,9S,10S)-(+) for both 1 and 2. In contrast, comparison of time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations of the ECD spectra of 1 and 2 to the experimental spectra of (+)-1 and (+)-2 does not permit definitive assignment of their ACs. On the other hand, TDDFT calculations of the ORD of (1R,5S,8S,9S,10S)-1 and -2 over the range of 365-589 nm are in excellent agreement with the experimental data of (+)-1 and (+)-2, confirming the ACs derived from the VCD spectra. Thus, the ACs initially proposed by Albers-Schönberg and Schmid are shown to be correct, and the opposite ACs recently derived from the ECD spectra of 1 and 2 by Elsässer et al. are shown to be incorrect. As a result, the ACs of other iridoid natural products obtained by chemical correlation with 1 and 2 are not in need of revision.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0482, USA. pstephen@usc.edu
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Stephens
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Pan
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: Devlin
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Krohn
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Kurtán
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D007192:Indenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D039823:Iridoids / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009904:Optical Rotation; D009905:Optical Rotatory Dispersion; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D014732:Vibration
chemical_list: D007192:Indenes; D039823:Iridoids; C516952:isoplumericin; C068511:plumericin