The Conformational Map of Volatile Anesthetics: Enflurane Revisited.

Previous ambiguities in the conformational and structural landscape of the volatile anesthetic enflurane have been solved combining microwave spectroscopy in a jet expansion and ab initio calculations. The broadband (2-18 GHz) rotational spectra identified three different rotamers, sharing a common trans ether skeleton but differing in the ±gauche/trans position of the terminal chlorine atom. For each chlorine conformation two different gauche orientations were predicted for the opposite difluoromethyl group, but only one is experimentally observable due to collisional relaxation in the jet.

Structural evidence of anomeric effects in the anesthetic isoflurane.

The conformational and structural properties of the inhalational anesthetic isoflurane (1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether) have been probed in a supersonic jet expansion using Fourier-transform microwave (FT-MW) spectroscopy. Two conformers of the isolated molecule were identified from the rotational spectrum of the parent and several (37)Cl and (13)C isotopologues detected in natural abundance. The two most stable structures of isoflurane are characterized by an anti carbon skeleton (τ(C(1)-C(2)-O-C(3)) = 137.

A ground state morphed intermolecular potential for the hydrogen bonded and van der Waals isomers in OC:HI and a prediction of an anomalous deuterium isotope effect.

An extended analysis of the noncovalent interaction OC:HI is reported using microwave and infrared supersonic jet spectroscopic techniques. All available spectroscopic data then provide the basis for generating an accurately determined vibrationally complete semiempirical intermolecular potential function using a four-dimensional potential coordinate morphing methodology. These results are consistent with the existence of four bound isomers: OC-HI, OC-IH, CO-HI, and CO-IH.

Interplay of phenol and isopropyl isomerism in propofol from broadband chirped-pulse microwave spectroscopy.

The conformational equilibrium of the general anesthetic propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) has been studied in a supersonic expansion using broadband chirped-pulse microwave spectroscopy. Three conformers originated by the combined internal rotation of the hydroxyl and the two isopropyl groups have been detected in the jet-cooled rotational spectrum. The most stable conformer exhibits tunneling splittings associated with the internal rotation of the hydroxyl group, from which we determined the torsional potential and barrier heights (905-940 cm(-1)).