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Chapter 4: Stereochemistry of Alkanes and Cycloalkanes

Coverage:1. Conformations of Ethane, Propane, Butane2. Stabilities of Cycloalkanes3. Conformations of Cyclohexane and Substituted Cyclohexanes.4. Molecular Mechanics

End of Chapter Problems: 4.24,-4.27, 4.31-4.35, 4.39, 4.4, 4.43.

Goals:1. Be able to draw Newman projections of ethane, propane, butane and others.2. Know the meaning of gauche, anti, eclipsed, staggered in conformations.3. Be able to estimate the relative energies of the different conformations of alkanes.4. Be able to draw chair conformations of cyclohexanes, showing equatorial and axial

positions. 5. Be able to estimate the relative energies of the conformations of substituted

cyclohexanes. 6. Understand the meaning of torsional, steric, angle and ring strain and be able to apply

them to the conformations of alkanes and cycloalkanes.7. Understand how the stabilities of cycloalkanes are measured. 8. Understand why cyclohexane is the most stable cycloalkane.

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1. Conformation of Ethane

CH3CH3

C CH

H

H

HH

H

Rotate 60o

HH

HH

H

HHH

H

HH

H

Staggered Conformation Eclipsed Conformation

Lower Energy Higher EnergyMore Stable Less Stable

The staggered conformation is more stable by 3.0 kcal/mol

Sawhorse

Newman projection

C1

C2

HH

HH

H

H

4-3Eclipsed Staggered Eclipsed Staggered Eclipsed Staggered Eclipsed

0.0 kcal/mol

3.0 kcal/mol

Dihedral Angle – the angle defined by the C-H bond on the front carbon and the C-H bond on the back carbon in a Newman projection.

HH

HH

H

H

600

HH

H

HH

H

00

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Why is the staggered conformation more stable than the eclipsed conformation?

In the eclipsed conformation, the C-H bonds are closer, resulting in a repulsionof the electron clouds.

This effect is referred to torsional strain. Torsional strain exists anytime C-H bonds are eclipsed.

HH

H

HH

H

1.0 kcal/mol

1.0 kcal/mol

1.0 kcal/molTotal Energy: 3.0 kcal/mol

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2. Conformations of Propane

Rotate 600C2

C1

HH

HH

H

CH3

C1

C2

HH

H

HH

CH3

HH

H

HH

CH3HH

HH

CH3

HRotate 600

More stable Less stable

0.0 kcal/mol 3.3 kcal/mol

HH

H

HH

CH3

1.3 kcal/mol

1.0 kcal/mol1.0 kcal/moleThe additional 0.3 kcal/mol energy is due to steric strain.

Steric strain – electronic repulsion that occurs when two atoms or groups are forced together.

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3. Conformations of Butane

C3

C2

HH

CH3 HH

CH3

C2

C3

CH3

H

H

HH

CH3

Anti ConformationStaggered 180o dihedral

Gauche ConformationStaggered 60o dihedral

HH

CH3H

CH3

H CH3H

H

HH

CH3

CH3H

HH

CH3

H HH

CH3

HH

CH3HCH3

HH

CH3

H HCH3

H

HH

CH3

Anti

60o

60o

Eclipsed

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There are two staggered conformations of different energy.

There are two eclipsed conformations of different energy.

Remember, staggered conformations aremore stable than eclipsed conformatiions

Quicktime Movie

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Angle Strain – the amount of strain due to deviation from normal bond angle.

Ring Strain – total strain (sum of torsional, steric and angle strain) in a cycloalkane compared to a open, noncyclic reference compound.

Conformations and Stabilites of Cycloalkanes

Cycloalkanes possess types of strain that do not exist in noncyclic alkanes

600

Cyclopropane

What is the normal bond angle for an sp3 carbon?

109.5o

Deviation 109.5 – 60 = 49.9o

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Cyclopropane also possesses torsional strain because of eclipsed bonds.

How much torsional strain (kcal/mol) does it possess?

Planar molecule

Answer: You figure it out.

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Ring Strain in Cycloalkanes

Baeyer Strain Theory

Johann Friedrich WilhelmAdolf von Baeyer

• First graduate student of Kekule’• Developed theory that cycloalkanes possess different amounts

of strain or stability, depending on the size of the ring. • Awarded Nobel Prize in 1905 for work with organic dyes.• Total synthesis of indigo.

"I have never set up an experiment to see whether I was right, but to see how the materials behave".

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Ring Strain in Cycloalkanes

The relative stabilites of cycloalkanes are determined by measuring their heats of combustion.

26.46.6164.04

9.61.2158,68

6.30.9158.37

0.00.0157.46

6.51.3158.75

27.69.2166.63

0.00.0157.4Long-Chain Alkane

Total Ring Strain, kcal/mol

Ring Strain per CH2,kcal/mol

Heat per CH2

kcal/molRing Size

-CH2-[ ]n + 3/2nO2 nCO2 + nH2O + Heat

The more heat per CH2, the less stable the alkane.

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Cyclohexane is free of ring strain? Why?

1. All Bonds are staggered and therefore no torsional strain.

2. All bond angles are near 109.50 so no angle strain.

3. It does possess steric strain (internal gauche interaction) but no more than a noncyclic alkane.

Cyclohexane – the most stable conformation of cyclohexane is the chair.

Chair conformation showingonly carbon atoms

Chair conformations showing positions of hydrogens

1

2 4

5

1 5

Newman projection shows thatall bonds are staggered. Bond angles are about 109.5o

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Equatorial and Axial Hydrogens of Cyclohexane

Six axial hydrogens point straight up (3) and straight down (3).

Six equatorial hydrogens point out away from the ring.

The axial and equatorial hydrogens are exchangable by a process called “ring flipping”.

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Interconversion of Chair Conformations or “Ring Flipping”

The axial and equatorial positions exchange during this process

Quicktime Movie

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You need to be able to draw a cyclohexane ring!

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You also need to be able to draw in the equatorial and axial positions.

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Other Conformations of Cyclohexane

Chair 1 Half Chair 1 Twist Boat 1 Boat Twist Boat 2 Half Chair 2 Chair 2

What are the shapes and energies of these other conformations?

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Monosubstituted Cyclohexanes

Methylcyclohexane

Axial Conformer Equatorial Conformer

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The equatorial conformer is more stable by 1.8 kcal/mol due to a steric interactionbetween the axial methyl and two axial hydrogens. These interactions are termed1,3-diaxial interactions.

0.9 kcal/mol

0.9 kcal/mol

2 x 0.9 = 1.8 kcal/mol 0.0 kcal/mol

These 1,3-diaxial interactions are really gauche interactions in disguise! Remember that a gauche interaction for butane is worth 0.9 kcal/mol.

5% 95%

0.9 kcal/mol 1.8 kcal/mol

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Other Substituents

X

X

0.0-H

5.4-C(CH3)3

2.2-CH(CH3)2

1.9-CH2CH3

1.8-CH3

0.50-Br

0.50-Cl

0.2-C≡N

0.24-F

Eaxial – Eequatorial

kcal/molX

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Disubstituted Cyclohexanes

0.9 + 1.8 = 2.7 kcal/mol

0.9 + 1.8 = 2.7 kcal/mol

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Disubstituted Cyclohexanes

0.9 kcal/mol

3.6 kcal/mol

Relative 0.0 kcal/mol

Relative 2.7 kcal/mol

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CH3

CH3

CH3

CH3

cis-1,2-dimethylcyclohexane

trans-1,3-dimethylcyclhexane

CH3

CH3

trans-1,4-dimethylcyclohexane

Can you name these dimethylcyclohexanes?

Which of these represent the most stable conformation possible?

equatorial - axial

equatorial - axial

axial-axial or diaxial

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Molecular Mechanics

The methods are based on the following principles: •Nuclei and electrons are lumped into atom-like particles. •Atom-like particles are spherical (radii obtained from measurements or theory) and have a net charge (obtained from theory). •Interactions are based on springs and classical potentials. •Interactions must be preassigned to specific sets of atoms. •Interactions determine the spatial distribution of atom-like particles and their energies

Molecular Mechanics consist of computation methods for determining the shapes and strain energies of molecules.

Etotal = Ebond stretching + Eangle strain + E torsional strain + Esteric strain

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Where is Molecular Mechanics used?

• Chemistry• Biology• Pharmaceutical Industry• Material Science