Open-chain unsaturated selanyl sulfides: stereochemical structure and stereochemical behavior of their 77Se-1H spin-spin coupling constants.

Stereochemical structure of nine Z-2-(vinylsulfanyl)ethenylselanyl organyl sulfides has been investigated by means of experimental measurements and second-order polarization propagator approach calculations of their (1)H-(1)H, (13)C-(1)H, and (77)Se-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants together with a theoretical conformational analysis performed at the MP2/6-311G** level. All nine compounds were shown to adopt the preferable skewed s-cis conformation of their terminal vinylsulfanyl group, whereas the favorable rotational conformations with respect to the internal rotations around the C-S and C-Se bonds of the internal ethenyl group are both skewed s-trans. Stereochemical trends of (77)Se-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants originating in the geometry of their coupling pathways and the selenium lone pair effect were rationalized in terms of the natural J-coupling analysis within the framework of the natural bond orbital approach.