Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, hybrid density functional theory (hybrid DFT: B3LYP/6-311+G**//B3LYP/6-311+G**), and ab initio molecular orbital (MO: MP2/6-311+G**//B3LYP/6-311+G**) based methods were used to study the electronic delocalization energy (DE), dipole–dipole interactions, and steric repulsions on the conformational properties of 5-methyl-5-aza-1,3-dioxacyclohexane (1) (-phospha- (2), -arsena- (3)), 5-methyl-5-aza-1,3-dithiacyclohexane (4) (-phospha- (5), -arsena- (6)), and 5-methyl-5-aza-1,3-diselenacyclohexane (7) (-phospha- (8), -arsena- (9)). The MP2/6-311+G**//B3LYP/6-311+G** and B3LYP/6-311+G**//B3LYP/6-311+G** results revealed that the axial stereoisomers of compounds 1–9 are more stable than their equatorial stereoisomers. In this regard, the obtained results showed an egregious axial preference for compounds 1, 4, and 7. Importantly, the results showed that the energy differences between the axial and equatorial stereoisomers decrease from compounds 1 → 3, 4 → 6, and also, 7 → 9. The NBO analysis of donor–acceptor interactions revealed that the calculated DE for compounds 1–3 are –21.50, –7.84, and –4.38 kcal mol–1, respectively. The decrease of the calculated DE values from compound 1 to compound 3 could reasonably explain the decrease of the energy differences between the axial and equatorial stereoisomers from compound 1 to compound 3. The correlation between the DE, dipole–dipole interactions, structural parameters, and conformational behaviors of compounds 1–9 has been investigated.
Tipping the balance: theoretical interrogation of divergent extended heterolytic fragmentations
