Determination of absolute configuration using ab initio calculation of optical rotation.

Ab initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations of transparent spectral region, discrete frequency specific rotations were used to assign the absolute configurations (ACs) of: 1, 2H-naphtho[1,8-bc]thiophene 1-oxide; 2, m-F-phenyl glycidic acid methyl ester; 3, o-Br-phenyl glycidic acid methyl ester; 4, p-CH(3)-phenyl glycidic acid methyl ester; 5, 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-chromen-4-one; and 6, 6-Br-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-chromen-4-one. The ACs of 5 and 6 were previously determined via X-ray crystallography to be: 5, R(-)/S(+); 6, R(+)/S(-). The ACs obtained using [alpha](D) are the same for both 5 and 6: R(+)/S(-). We conclude that the previously reported AC of 5 is incorrect. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.