Benzhydryl Ethers of Tartaric Acid Derivatives: Stereochemical Response of a Dynamically Chiral Propeller.

The benzhydryl (diphenylmethyl) group is a molecular propeller that can act as a chirality reporter if it is introduced nearby a stereogenic center by making an ether bond. The hydrophobic character of the benzhydryl group allows transformation of insoluble natural tartaric acid derivatives into soluble entities in a nonpolar environment. Electronic circular dichroism spectra, recorded within the short-wavelength region of the phenyl B transitions (190-200 nm) shows strong bisignate Cotton effects. The signs and magnitudes of these Cotton effects are a function of absolute configuration and conformation of the molecule and do not primarily arise from exciton coupling of chiral benzhydryl chromophores. In crystals, the main-chain conformation is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds and CH-CO dipolar interactions. The number of the donor NH groups has a pronounced effect on the preferred conformations and inclusion properties of benzhydryl-(R,R)-tartaric acid diamides. Evidence is shown for the solvent dependency of the conformations of NH amides of tartaric acid diphenylmethyl ethers.