Application of the additivity of group energies to understand conformational preference: the anomeric effect

The conformational preference in normal and reverse anomeric effects is analyzed by taking advantage of the known additivity and transferability of functional group energies defined by the gradient of the electron density. As the anomeric effect has an energetic origin and every change in the electron density produces an energetic change, an explanation of this phenomenon should be based on the density changes taking place in a conformational equilibrium. The total energy of substituted cyclohexanoids is partitioned into ring and substituent contributions and the preferred conformation is the result of a balance between them. This new alternative approach allows understanding of the anomeric effect in terms of group energy contributions. In general, the most stable conformer in both the anomeric and reverse anomeric effects is that where the ring transfers charge to the heteroatom in the substituent during the process.