Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.108, No.26, 5559-5563, 2004
Temperature dependence of optical rotation: alpha-pinene, beta-pinene pinane, camphene, camphor and fenchone
The temperature dependence of the specific rotations of alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, pinane, camphene, camphor, and fenchone were measured in ethylcyclohexane solutions from 0 to 100 degreesC, and at several wavelengths. The rotations for alpha-pinene and camphene have only a very small temperature dependence. In contrast, the specific rotations of beta-pinene and pinane decrease significantly with increasing temperature. This does not appear to be a result of a complex between pinane and the solvent, since changing to di-n-butyl ether leads to essentially the same temperature dependence. The specific rotations of camphor and fenchone are temperature sensitive, but in opposite directions. The observed temperature dependence of the specific rotations of these compounds has important consequences for variable temperature studies of chiral compounds having two or more conformers with similar energies.