Molecular orbital calculations and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra as indicators of internal rotational potentials in some methyl derivatives of styrene

The 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the α-methyl, cis and trans-β-methyl, 4-methyl, and β,β-dimethyl styrènes are analyzed to yield long-range proton–proton coupling constants. With the assumptin that the internal rotational potential for styrene in the gas phase is unaltered in solution, a consistent treatment of over 40 of the long-range coupling constants is given in terms of the known coupling mechanisms. Expectation values of sin2 θ, where θ is the angle of twist about the exocyclic carbon–carbon bond, are presented for these molecules. These are compared with theoretical potentials at the 6-31 G level of molecular orbital theory. The present data indicate rather larger average twist angles than those in the literature. The extrema (at θ = θ° and 90°) in the angle dependent long-range coupling constants appear to be rather smaller in magnitude than are theoretical values obtained from valence bond and molecular orbital approaches.