Equilibrium tautomers

Finally, the relative intensities of Sq-Sj transitions of different tautomers of the same compound show significant dependence on the solution temperature. This temperature effect is caused by changing equilibrium tautomer concentrations due to the existence of a potential barrier for proton migration in the ground state. Because of large energy separation aE between Sq-Si... 

Tautomerism is an ability of certain chemical compounds to exist as a mixture of two interconvertible isomers in dynamic equilibrium. Tautomers are two constitutional isomers in equilibrium with each other that differ in the location of a hydrogen atom and a double bond relative to a heteroatom, most commonly O, N, S,... 

The mass-spectrometric fragmentation of 2-aminothiazole-3-oxides is characterized by the abstraction of O and OH out of the molecule ion. Variations observed in the mass spectra suggest an equilibrium between tautomers 354a and 354b in the gas phase (Scheme 203). 

Since polar solvents would be expected to stabilize polar forms, a retreat towards the hydroxy tautomer (71) would be predicted in solvents less polar than water, and in the vapour phase. This is borne out in practice at equilibrium both 2- and 4-hydroxypyridine (as well as the 3-hydroxy compound, which even in water exists as an approximate 1 1 mixture of OH and NH forms) exist as such, rather than as the pyridinones. However, the 2- and 4-quinolinones remain in the NH (keto) forms, even in the vapour phase. Hydrocarbon or other solvents of very low polarity would be expected to give results similar to those in the vapour phase, but intermolecular association by hydrogen bonding often leads to a considerably greater proportion of polar tautomers being present than would otherwise have been predicted (77ACR186, 78JOC177). 

The comparison of the experimental mean values with the theoretically calculated ones for individual tautomers (Section 4.04.1.5.1) (76AHC(S1)1) or conformers (Section 4.04.1.4.3) has been used in the literature to determine equilibrium constants. Thus, the experimental value for l,l -thiocarbonylbis(pyrazole) (40) is 3.19 D and the vector sums of the simple group moments after addition of the extra mesomeric moments are shown in Figure 8. From these values Carlsson and Sandstrom (6SACS1655) concluded that conformation (40b) exerts the largest influence. 

The last example is somewhat more complicated since four isomers (two tautomers and two conformations) are present at equilibrium (Figure 9) (78BSB189). The experimental value (3.73 D, Table 3) establishes the predominance of the 3-azido tautomer but does not allow the determination of the conformational equilibrium other methods (Section 4.04.2.3.4(v)) are necessary to establish definitely the Z conformation (43b). 

The mean chemical shifts of A- unsubstituted pyrazoles have been used to determine the tautomeric equilibrium constant, but the method often leads to erroneous conclusions (76AHC(Sl)l) unless the equilibrium has been slowed down sufficiently to observe the signals of individual tautomers (Section 4.04.1.5.1). When acetone is used as solvent it is necessary to bear in mind the possibility (depending on the acidity of the pyrazole and the temperature) of observing the signals of the 1 1 adduct (55) whose formation is thermodynamically favoured by lowering the solution temperature (79MI40407). A similar phenomenon is observed when SO2 is used as solvent. 

All the N-unsubstituted pyrazoles (129) in solution (and probably in the gas phase) are mixtures of annular tautomers in different proportions, depending on the nature of the substituents R and R. In the majority of cases the difference of free energy between both tautomers is low enough for the chemical reactivity to be unrelated to the equilibrium constant. 

When R = H, in all the known examples, the 3-substituted tautomer (129a) predominates, with the possible exception of 3(5)-methylpyrazole (R = Me, R = H) in which the 5-methyl tautomer slightly predominates in HMPT solution at -17 °C (54%) (77JOC659) (Section 4.04.1.3.4). For the general case when R = or a dependence of the form logjRTT = <2 Za.s cTi + b Xa.s (Tr, with a>0,b <0 and a> b, has been proposed for solutions in dipolar aprotic solvents (790MR( 12)587). The equation predicts that the 5-trimethylsilyl tautomer is more stable than the 3-trimethylsilylpyrazole, since experimental work has to be done to understand the influence of the substituents on the equilibrium constant which is solvent dependent (78T2259). There is no problem with indazole since the IH tautomer is always the more stable (83H(20)1713). 

Together with pyridones, the tautomerism of pyrazolones has been studied most intensely and serves as a model for other work on tautomerism (76AHC(Sl)l). 1-Substituted pyrazolin-5-ones (78) can exist in three tautomeric forms, classically known as CH (78a), (DH (78b) and NH (78c). In the vapour phase the CH tautomer predominates and in the solid state there is a strongly H-bonded mixture of OH and HN tautomers (Section 4.04.1.3.1). However, most studies of the tautomerism of pyrazolones correspond to the determination of equilibrium constants in solution (see Figure 20). 

Hydrogen bonding plays a major role in pyrazolone tautomerism, and the formation of a chelate structure can shift the equilibrium towards the chelated form. Structures (135) and (136) are two representative examples of such stabilized tautomers. Structure (137) is a hypothetical example of stabilization of the NH tautomer. 

The problem of tautomerism is simpler in the case of 1-substituted pyrazolin-3-ones since only two forms, the OH (140a) and the NH (140b), are possible. The OH form is the more stable and is the only one present in the crystal (Section 4.04.1.3.1). In protic solvents, like water or methanol, the equilibrium position is much more evenly balanced between the OH and NH forms. Finally, 4-hydroxypyrazoles (141) exist as such. A CNDO/2 calculation justifies the result that 4-hydroxy tautomers are relatively more stable than... 

In the case of 4-hydroxypyrazole, tautomer (159), although not abundant in the equilibrium mixture (Section 4.04.1.5.2), must be considered when discussing their reactivity. 

In a neutral azole, the apparent rate of formation of an A-substituted derivative depends on the rate of reaction of a given tautomer and on the tautomeric equilibrium constant. For example, with a 3(5)-substituted pyrazole such as (199), which exists as a mixture of two tautomers (199a) and (199b) in equilibrium, the product composition [(200)]/[(201)] is a function of the rate constants Ha and fcs, as well as of the composition of the tautomeric mixture (Scheme 16) <76AHC(Si)l). 

Analogously, pyrazolyl-aluminate and -indate ligands have been prepared <75JCS(D)749) and their chelating properties evaluated with cobalt, nickel, copper and zinc. Gallyl derivatives of pyrazoles and indazoles have been extensively studied by Storr and Trotter e.g. 75CJC2944) who determined several X-ray structures of these compounds. These derivatives exist in the solid state as dimers, such as (212) and (288). A NMR study in acetone solution showed the existence of a slow equilibrium between the dimer (212) and two identical tautomers (289) and (290) (Section 4.04.1.5.1) (81JOM(215)157). 

Thiol-thione tautomers have not been extensively studied, but UV and IR evidence show that 5-phenylisothiazole-3-thiol exists in the SH form. Ring-chain tautomerism of 2,3-dihydro derivatives of 1,2-benzisothiazole can occur (26a 26b) and the position of equilibrium depends very much on the solvent, physical state and nature of the substituents (69JOC919, 81KGS1209). 

The interaction of diazomethane with 1-azirines was the first example of a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with this ring system (64JOC3049, 68JOC4316). 1,3-Dipolar addition produces the triazoline adduct (87). This material can exist in equilibrium with its valence tautomer (88), and allylic azides (89) and (90) can be produced from these triazolines by ring cleavage. 

The same arguments can be applied to other energetically facile interconversions of two potential reactants. For example, many organic molecules undergo rapid proton shifts (tautomerism), and the chemical reactivity of the two isomers may be quite different It is not valid, however, to deduce the ratio of two tautomers on the basis of subsequent reactions that have activation energies greater than that of the tautomerism. Just as in the case of conformational isomerism, the ratio of products formed in subsequent reactions will not be controlled by the position of the facile equilibrium. 

Although at equilibrium the j5,y-tautomer (16a) is preferred, some of the conjugated enone (17) can be obtained by acid-catalyzed equilibration. Hydrogenation of the A-homo-enone (16a) gives a mixture from which A-homo-5a-cholestan-3-one (5b) can be isolated. 

Aldehydes and ketones ( keto forms) normally exist in equilibrium with their enol tautomers. 

Which tautomer is lower in energy, acetone or propen-2-oll Use equation (1) to calculate the equilibrium distribution of the two at room temperature. If an experiment is capable of detecting concentrations as low as 1 % of the total, would you expect to observe both keto and enol forms of acetone at room temperature ... 

Many heterocyclic compounds exist as mixtures of tautomers. For example, 2-hydroxypyridine exists in equilibrium with 2-pyridone. 

The equilibrium abundances of the tautomers is influenced by substituents and solvent among other factors. 

Compare energies of 2-hydroxypyridine and 2-pyridone to see which tautomer is preferred. Use equation (1) to calculate the equilibrium concentrations of the two at room temperature. 

Repeat your analysis for tautomeric equilibria between 4-hydroxypyridine and 4-pyridone, 2-hydroxypyrimidine and 2-pyrimidone and 4-hydroxypyrimidine and 4-pyrimidone. For each, identify the favored (lower-energy) tautomer, and then use equation (1) to calculate the ratio of tautomers present at equilibrium. Point out any major differences among the four systems and rationalize what you observe. (Hint Compare dipole moments and electrostatic potential maps of the two pyridones and the two pyrimidones. How are these related to molecular stability )... 

Protons bound to heteroatoms in heterocyclic compounds are likely to be very mobile in solution and, where two or more heteroatoms are present in a structure, different isomers (tautomers) may be in equilibrium. As a case in point, consider the nucleotide bases (indicates the point of attachment to the sugar-phosphate backbone). 

A large number of Brpnsted and Lewis acid catalysts have been employed in the Fischer indole synthesis. Only a few have been found to be sufficiently useful for general use. It is worth noting that some Fischer indolizations are unsuccessful simply due to the sensitivity of the reaction intermediates or products under acidic conditions. In many such cases the thermal indolization process may be of use if the reaction intermediates or products are thermally stable (vide infra). If the products (intermediates) are labile to either thermal or acidic conditions, the use of pyridine chloride in pyridine or biphasic conditions are employed. The general mechanism for the acid catalyzed reaction is believed to be facilitated by the equilibrium between the aryl-hydrazone 13 (R = FF or Lewis acid) and the ene-hydrazine tautomer 14, presumably stabilizing the latter intermediate 14 by either protonation or complex formation (i.e. Lewis acid) at the more basic nitrogen atom (i.e. the 2-nitrogen atom in the arylhydrazone) is important. 

It has been proposed that protonation or complex formation at the 2-nitrogen atom of 14 would enhance the polarization of the r,6 -7i system and facilitate the rearrangement leading to new C-C bond formation. The equilibrium between the arylhydrazone and its ene-hydrazine tautomer is continuously promoted to the right by the irreversible rearomatization in stage II of the process. The indolization of arylhydrazones on heating in the presence of (or absence of) solvent under non-catalytic conditions can be rationalized by the formation of the transient intermediate 14 (R = H). Under these thermal conditions, the equilibrium is continuously pushed to the right in favor of indole formation. Some commonly used catalysts in this process are summarized in Table 3.4.1. 

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