Antonios Kolocouris, Nikolaos Zervos, Frank De Proft, Andreas Koch

• C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax are a textbook prototype of steric hindrance in organic chemistry. The nature of these contacts is investigated in this work. MP2/6-31+G(d,p) calculations predicted the presence of improper hydrogen bonded C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax of different strength in substituted cyclohexane rings. To support the theoretical predictions with experimental evidence, several synthetic 2-substituted adamantane analogues (1-24) with suitable improper H-bonded C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax contacts of different strength were used as models of a substituted cyclohexane ring. The H-1 NMR signal separation, Delta delta(gamma-CH2), within the cyclohexane ring gamma-CH(2)s is raised when the MP2/6-31+G(d,p) calculated parameters, reflecting the strength of the H-bonded C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax contact, are increased. In molecules with enhanced improper H-bonded contacts C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax, like those having sterically crowded contactsC-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax are a textbook prototype of steric hindrance in organic chemistry. The nature of these contacts is investigated in this work. MP2/6-31+G(d,p) calculations predicted the presence of improper hydrogen bonded C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax of different strength in substituted cyclohexane rings. To support the theoretical predictions with experimental evidence, several synthetic 2-substituted adamantane analogues (1-24) with suitable improper H-bonded C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax contacts of different strength were used as models of a substituted cyclohexane ring. The H-1 NMR signal separation, Delta delta(gamma-CH2), within the cyclohexane ring gamma-CH(2)s is raised when the MP2/6-31+G(d,p) calculated parameters, reflecting the strength of the H-bonded C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax contact, are increased. In molecules with enhanced improper H-bonded contacts C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax, like those having sterically crowded contacts (Y-ax = t-Bu) or contacts including considerable electrostatic attractions (Y-ax = O-C or O=C) the calculated DFT steric energies of the gamma-axial hydrogens are considerably reduced reflecting their electron cloud compression. The results suggest that the proton H-ax electron cloud compression, caused by the C-H-ax center dot center dot center dot Y-ax contacts, and the resulting increase in Delta delta(gamma-CH2) value can be effected not just from van der Waals spheres compression, but more generally from electrostatic attraction forces and van der Waals repulsion, both of which are improper H-bonding components.…