The conformational free energy difference for the trideuteromethyl substituent in cyclohexane
Studies at 169 K to 194 K of the 13C nmr spectrum of cis-1-ethyl-[4-Me-2H3]-4-methylcyclohexane show that the conformational enthalpy difference −ΔH°(C2H3) is 1.82 ± 0.07 kcal mol−1 and the conformational entropy difference ΔS°(C2H3) is −0.28 ± 0.4 cal K−1 mol−1, values which do not differ significantly from the values for CH3. However, analysis of the room temperature 13C nmr spectrum of a mixture of cis-1-ethyl-4-methylcyclohexane and cis-1-ethyl-[4-Me-2H3]-4-methylcyclohexane showed that −ΔG°(C2H3) at 298 K is 11.89 ± 1.46 cal mol−1less than that for CH3, i.e. C2H3 has a slightly greater preference than CH3 for the axial orientation. The 13C nmr spectrum of a mixture of trans-1-ethyl-4-methylcyclohexane and trans-1-ethyl-[4-Me-2H3]-4-methyl-cyclohexane indicates that deuterium-induced 13C nmr isotope shifts, all upfield, occur across 1,2, 3, and 5 bonds.