Bagrat A. Shainyan, Elena N. Suslova, Erich Kleinpeter

• 4,4-Dimethyl-1-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-1,4-azasilinane 1 and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-1,4,2,6-oxazadisilinane 2 were studied by variable temperature dynamic 1H, 13C, 19F NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations at the DFT (density functional theory) and MP2 (Moller-Plesset 2) levels of theory. Both kinetic (barriers to ring inversion) and thermodynamic data (frozen conformational equilibria) could be obtained for the two compounds. The computations revealed two minima on the potential energy surface for molecules 1 and 2 corresponding to the rotamers with the CF3SO2 group directed inward and outward the ring, the latter being 0.20.4 kcal/mol (for 1) and 1.1 kcal/mol (for 2) more stable than the former. The vibrational calculations at the DFT and MP2 levels of theory give the values of the free energy difference Delta G degrees for the 'inward' reversible arrow 'outward' equilibrium consistent with those determined from the experimentally measured ratio of the rotamers. The structure of crystalline4,4-Dimethyl-1-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-1,4-azasilinane 1 and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-1,4,2,6-oxazadisilinane 2 were studied by variable temperature dynamic 1H, 13C, 19F NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations at the DFT (density functional theory) and MP2 (Moller-Plesset 2) levels of theory. Both kinetic (barriers to ring inversion) and thermodynamic data (frozen conformational equilibria) could be obtained for the two compounds. The computations revealed two minima on the potential energy surface for molecules 1 and 2 corresponding to the rotamers with the CF3SO2 group directed inward and outward the ring, the latter being 0.20.4 kcal/mol (for 1) and 1.1 kcal/mol (for 2) more stable than the former. The vibrational calculations at the DFT and MP2 levels of theory give the values of the free energy difference Delta G degrees for the 'inward' reversible arrow 'outward' equilibrium consistent with those determined from the experimentally measured ratio of the rotamers. The structure of crystalline compound 2 was ascertained by X-ray diffraction analysis.…