ABSTRACT
Until recently, the application of O nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to organic chemistry as a method for structure and conformation elucidation as well as a probe for assessing electronic distribution had been under-utilized significantly. This chapter deals with one category: systems in which steric interactions are characterized by rotation of functional groups around single bonds to relieve van der Waals interactions. It focuses on rigid systems in which steric interactions are partially accommodated by bond angle and bond length distortions. It is clear then that torsion angle relationships are important in these systems as well. It is clear from the studies reported to date that O NMR spectroscopy is an extremely sensitive and valuable method for assessing solution phase geometries for molecules containing any one of a number of different functional groups.
