Variations in the turn-forming characteristics of N-acyl proline units

We have examined intramolecular hydrogen bonding in four homologous compounds, N-acetyl-, N-propionyl-, N-i-butyryl-, and N-pivaloyl-proline-methylamide, in methylene chloride, by means of 1H-nmr and ir measurements. At room temperature, the major trans conformer of MeCO-Pro-NHMe appears to be approximately 68% intramolecularly hydrogen bonded, the trans conformers of EtCO-Pro-NHMe and i-PrCO-Pro-NHMe are approximately 75% intramolecularly hydrogen bonded, and t-BuCO-Pro-NHMe is approximately 50% intramolecularly hydrogen bonded. Thus, the internally hydrogen-bonded state (C7 or gamma-turn) is significantly less populated for the N-pivaloyl compound than for the other three molecules in this series. Variable temperature measurements indicate that for each proline derivative there is very little enthalpic difference between the intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded and nonhydrogen bonded states of the trans rotamer. Changing the N-terminal acyl group also affects intramolecular hydrogen bonding (including beta-turn formation) in end-blocked Pro-Gly dipeptides.