Nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular orbital studies of the conformational preferences of the fluoromethyl group in some benzylfluoride derivatives

Abstract

The proton magnetic resonance spectra of some benzylfluoride derivatives yield long-range spin–spin coupling constants between ring protons and protons or fluorine nuclei in the fluoromethyl group. In conjunction with the eigenfunctions for a hindered twofold rotor, the couplings over six bonds are used to show that in 3,5-dichlorobenzylfluoride in solution the C—F bond prefers the benzene plane by 260 ± 50 cal/mol; in close agreement with ab initia and MINDO/3 molecular orbital calculations. The latter method suggests that in a conformation in which the C—F bond lies in a plane perpendicular to the benzene ring, the C – C – F angle reduces to 107.2° and the C – C – H angles become 116.1°, perhaps due to increased conjugation of the C—F bond or fluorine atom with the π electrons of the ring. The observed barrier is presumably a delicate balance between steric interactions, hyperconjugation or p–p conjugation effects, and dipole–dipole interactions between polarized bonds.