Comparative conformational analysis of 2,2-dimethyl and 2,2,5-trimethyl-1,3-dioxanes and their 2-heteroanalogs with silicon and germanium atoms

Abstract

Comparative conformational analysis of 2,2-dimethyl- and 2,2,5-trimethyl-1,3-dioxanes as well as their 2-heteroanalogs with silicon and germanium atoms has been performed by means of computer simulation using HF/pVDZ, hybrid DFT PBE/3ξ, and RI-MP2/λ2 methods. The potential energy surface for all the studied compounds has revealed the presence of the chair and 2,5-twist conformers. The latter form, in the case of substituted 1,3-dioxa-2-silacyclohexanes at the HF/pVDZ level, is a transition state rather than an intermediate minimum. The molecules of 2-sila- and 2-germa-1,3-dioxacyclohexanes exhibit an enhanced conformational flexibility as compared to the 1,3-dioxanes.