Morpholines: stereochemistry and preferred steric course of quaternization

The 13C magnetic resonance spectra of a series of methyl and phenyl substituted morpholines, their hydrochlorides, and methiodides have been determined. The effects of methyl substitution adjacent to oxygen and nitrogen are reasonably equivalent and substituent induced chemical shift parameters derived for the series show favorable agreement with those previously observed in both alicyclic and heterocyclic systems. Results for the cis and trans isomers of phendimetrazine (3,4-dimethyl-2-phenylmorpholine), confirm the preferred chair conformations and configurations cis-3-CH3, cis-2-phenyl (cis) and trans-3-CH3, cis-2-phenyl (trans) for these isomers. The preferred course of quaternization of nitrogen in these systems was determined as axial, using deuteriomethyliodide as a label. This 13C–2H technique relies on the observation of the γ-syn-axial effect and is clearly unambiguous and superior to other methods used in evaluating this mechanism. Product ratios and consequently free energies of this reaction were measured from proton and deuterium nmr spectra.