The conformational preferences of N-methyl derivatives
of the dopamine reuptake blocker threo-methylphenidate [Ritalin] and the p-methyl analogue were
determined in the solid state and in
solution and that of the erythro isomer in solution.
The solid-state structures of
(±)-threo-N-methyl-α-phenyl-2-piperidineacetic acid methyl ester hydrochloride
[(±)-threo-N-methyl-methylphenidate
hydrochloride] (2) and
(±)-threo-N,p-dimethyl-α-phenyl-2-piperidineacetic
acid methyl ester hydrochloride (5) were determined by single crystal X-ray
diffraction analysis. (±)-2 underwent
spontaneous resolution to give crystalline chiral plates containing two
independent molecules in
the asymmetric ring, and at each site there is a disorder involving the
N-methylpiperidinyl ring
methylene and methyl carbon atoms with a 0.710(7):0.290(7)
ratio of occupancy factors. The two
(2RS,3RS,4SR) major disordered
molecules have similar structures consisting of a chair
conformation for the piperidine ring with axial N-methyl and
CH(Ph)COOMe groups. The two
(2RS,3RS,4RS)
minor molecules in the disorder also have similar structures and differ
from the major ones by
epimerization at nitrogen and inversion of the piperidine ring to
afford an axial N-methyl group,
and an equatorial CH(Ph)COOMe group.
(±)-5 gave crystalline plates also containing
diaxially
disposed piperidinyl-ring substituents. Dissolution in
D2O of either 2 or its erythro-epimer
(3) each
gives a 5:4 ratio of two species in which the major species exhibits an
axial N-methyl group and an
equatorial CH(Ph)COOMe group while the minor
species has a diequatorial arrangement for both
substituents. Both of the axial N-methyl
threo or erythro major species in D2O
are overwhelmingly
conformationally biased in favor of an antiperiplanar
H(2)···H(3) disposition and one piperidine
ring invertomer. Dissolution of the threo or
erythro epimers in CD2Cl2 gives
the same axial
N-methyl/equatorial CH(Ph)COOMe and
diequatorially disposed species but now in a reversed
ratio
[respectively 3:20 for threo and 4:5 for
erythro].