Conformational analysis of 2-halocyclopentanones by NMR and IR spectroscopies and theoretical calculations

The conformational isomerism of 2-chlorocyclopentanone and 2-bromocyclopentanone has been determined through the solvent dependence of the 1H NMR 3JHH coupling constants, theoretical calculations and infrared data, using the solvation theory for the treatment of NMR data. In 2-chlorocyclopentanone, the energy difference (EΨ-e − EΨ-a), in the isolated molecule at B3LYP level of theory, between the pseudo-equatorial (Ψ-e) and pseudo-axial (Ψ-a) conformers is 0.42 kcal mol−1, which decreases in CCl4 and in acetonitrile solutions, in good agreement with infrared data (νCO), despite the uncertainties of the latter method. The conformational equilibrium for 2-bromocyclopentanone is also between the Ψ-e and Ψ-a conformations, with an energy difference (EΨ-e − EΨ-a), in the isolated molecule at B3LYP level of theory, is 0.85 kcal mol−1 which decreases in CCl4 and in acetonitrile solutions, also in good agreement with infrared data.