Magnetic non-equivalence of fluorine atoms of a trifluoromethyl group

Abstract

The three fluorine atoms of N,N-dialkyl amide and chloride derivatives of 2-methoxy-2-phenyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropanoic acid are magnetically nonequivalent below –60 °C and exhibit a clear ABC coupling pattern from which chemical shifts and geminal coupling constants are readily derived. The chemical shifts span a range of about 10 ppm and the geminal coupling constants average about 110 Hz. A five bond coupling of about 5 Hz is observed between the hydrogens of the methoxy group and one of the nonequivalent fluorine atoms of the trifluoromethyl group. Barriers to the hindered rotation about the single bond to the trifluoromethyl group are in the range 36–46 kJ/mol.