Studies on the stereochemistry of 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone

In the effort to create new derivatives of analgesically active spiropiperidines intermediate 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone was synthesized. The substitution of the skeleton gives rise to configurational as well as conformational isomerism. Despite the symmetry of 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone two different sets of signals were present in the 1H and 13C NMR spectra. They were supposed to arise from a cis/trans mixture of 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone. In contrast to this explanation only two signals of the methyl groups and hydrogens at carbon atoms 2 and 6 were observed in the 1H and 13C NMR spectra, normally expecting one for the cis- and two for the trans-isomer. To solve this discrepancy, the kind of isomeric mixture of 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone leading to the 1H and 13C NMR spectra was examined. Energy differences between chair conformations of both the cis- and the trans-isomer of 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone and the potential energy surface of the equilibration process of the trans-isomer of 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone between its chair conformers were determined by quantum chemical calculations. The barrier height of the equilibration process was measured by high and low temperature NMR measurements to confirm the theoretical outcome. The results of all investigations agree nicely and proved a cis-/trans-mixture of 1,2,6-trimethyl-4-piperidone being present at room temperature.