Skeletal vibrational circular dichroism of a series of bicyclic dilactones: the fingerprint region?

The vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of 2,5-dioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-3,6-dione 1 (R = H) and the 1,4-dialkyl derivatives, 1 (R = Me) and 1 (R = t-Bu), were calculated by the ab initio magnetic field perturbation (MFP) procedure with a B3LYP/6-31G* force field, and the VCD spectra of the dimethyl and di-t-butyl derivatives were measured in the region 800-1500 cm^-1. While the absolute configurations of 1 (R = Me) and 1 (R = t-Bu) could be assigned unambiguously by comparison of the experimental and predicted spectra, there is little obvious correspondence between the spectra of the series of compounds. The VCD spectra are analysed on the basis of operation of a coupled oscillator mechanism involving motions of the polar bonds. In the case of the parent dihydro system, bridgehead C-H bond motions appear to dominate contributions to the VCD of vibrational transitions into which they are mixed.Key words: vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), 2,5-dioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-3,6-dione, dilactones, optical activity.