title: The substituted alkyne 3-heptyne is eclipsed.
abstract: Although butane exists in staggered anti and gauche conformations, when the ethyl groups are separated by a C[triple bond]C triple bond (3-hexyne), the stable conformation changes to eclipsed, (1)C(2v). Using rotational microwave spectroscopy, we have studied another example, 3-heptyne, the C[triple bond]C elongated analogue of pentane. The most stable conformer of pentane has anti-anti (AA) conformations about the central C-C bonds (C(2v)) and the next most stable has a gauche dihedral angle (GA, C1). This microwave study determines that the extended analogue of the AA form is not staggered about the C[triple bond]C axis but eclipsed (Cs). Also, the elongated analogue of the GA conformer is also not staggered but nearly eclipsed. The conformations of low-polarity substituted acetylenes is determined by dispersion attractions between the end groups. A microwave study of the AA and GA conformers of pentane is also reported.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA.
authors: Geoffrey B
authors: GB
authors: Churchill
authors: Robert K
authors: RK
authors: Bohn