Expt. 6 - Substituent & Solvent Effects on Tautomeric Equilibria

Effect of Substituent on Conformational Energies

Tautomer

AM1 (kcal/mol)

AM1 Relative (kcal/mol)

1a (R=H)

39.878

0.0

1b (R=H)

50.510

10.632

1c (R=H)

48.575

8.697

     

1a (R=Cl)

46.835

20.322

1b (R=Cl)

27.951

1.438

1c (R=Cl)

26.513

0.0

For R=H, AM1 predicts pyrrole, 1a, to be the most stable. For R=Cl, AM1 predicts the azadiene tautomer, 1c, to be the most stable.

 

 

Effect of Solvation on Conformational Energies

Tautomer

AM1

(kcal/mol)

AM1 Relative (kcal/mol)

Dipole Moment

(Debye)

AM1 /SM2

(kcal/mol)

AM1 /SM2 Relative (kcal/mol)

2a (cis)

-11.769

0.0

1.377

-20.310

1.764

2a (trans)

-7.113

4.656

3.229

-15.957

6.117

2b

-11.305

0.464

3.921

-22.074

0.0

Note the large difference in the relative energies and dipole moments of the cis & trans isomers of 2a. In the gas phase, AM1 predicts 2a (cis) to be more stable than 2b. In solution (water), AM1/SM2 predicts the opposite. However, both models predict the cis conformer of 2a to be more stable than the trans.