Dynamic NMR spectroscopy of 2,2′-dimethyl-1-picrylhydrazine in various solvents

Abstract

We have studied the 1H NMR spectra of 2,2′-dimethyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazine at 300 and 500 MHz in seven liquid solvents, with a view to learning details of the internal conformational changes taking place as a function of temperature and of the solvent. These molecules in liquid solution occur as interconverting enantiomorphic pairs (atropisomers). Advanced techniques for obtaining the correct activation energies and pseudo-thermodynamic parameters have been utilized, and these parameters are listed and discussed. Our results point to a transformation between the pair of atropisomers that is not quite as complicated as one might have encountered in that the solvent does not affect ΔG‡ in any major fashion. Molecular orbital calculations clarified some of the chemical shifts observed for both 1H and 13C. One goal of this study was to enable a detailed comparison with similar results available for 2,2′-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazine.Key words: dynamic NMR, dimethylpicrylhydrazine, hindered rotation, atropisomers, activation parameters.