The conformational spaces of dinaphthyl ketones, dinaphthyl thioketones, and dinaphthyl diazomethanes: 1-substituted naphthalenes versus 2-substituted naphthalenes

1,1'-Dinaphthyl ketone (15), 1,2'-dinaphthyl ketone (18), 2,2'-dinaphthyl ketone (19), 1,1'-dinaphthyl thioketone (16), 1,2'-dinaphthyl thioketone (20), 2,2'-dinaphthyl thioketone (21), 1,1'-dinaphthyldiazomethane (17), 1,2'-dinaphthyldiazomethane (22), and 2,2'-dinaphthyldiazomethane (23) have been synthesized. Ketone 15 has been prepared from di(1-naphthyl)methanol; ketone 18 has been prepared by a Friedel-Crafts acylation of naphthalene with 2-naphthoyl chloride; ketone 19 has been prepared by a Grignard reaction of 2-naphthylmagnesium bromide with 2-naphthoyl chloride. Thioketones 16, 20, and 21 have been prepared by reactions of the corresponding ketones 15, 18, and 19 with Lawesson's reagent. The diazomethane derivatives 17, 22, and 23 have been prepared by the HgO oxidation of the respective hydrazones 25, 27, and 28 (prepared from the respective thioketones 16, 20, and 21). The crystal and molecular structures of ketones 15, 18, and 19 and of thioketone 16 have been determined. A variety of conformations in the crystal structures is noted: 1Z,1'Z (15), 1E,1'Z (16), 1E,2'E (18), 2Z,2'Z (19). The NMR experiments have demonstrated the downfield shifts of the protons peri to the carbonyl and the thiocarbonyl groups in 15, 16, and 18, but not in 20. A systematic DFT study (B3LYP/6-31G(d)) of the conformational spaces of 15-23 and their H-1 and C-13 NMR chemical shifts has been performed. In each series of constitutional isomers, the order of stabilities is 2,2'-(NA)(2)C=X > 1,2'-(NA)(2)C=X > 1,1'-(NA)(2)C=X. The decrease in the stabilities of 1-naphthyl derivatives relative to 2-naphthyl derivatives is attributed to the increased overcrowding and the increased twist angles in 1-naphthyl derivatives. The increased stabilization of E-conformations with the increase of the radius of a heteroatom at C-9 due to the steric reasons is noted. The DFT calculations satisfactorily describe the X-ray conformations of 15, 16, 18, and 19.