13C--(13)C spin-spin coupling constants characterizing the bicyclobutane moiety of seven well-known bicyclobutane-containing polycycloalkanes were calculated at the SOPPA level. Benchmark calculations on tricyclopentane and octabisvalene revealed an appropriate level of theory and sufficient quality of basis sets used to perform geometry searches and to calculate spin-spin coupling constants. Several experimental uncertainties were resolved and a number of interesting couplings were predicted. The most interesting trend observed in this series of polycycloalkanes is the marked increase (decrease in absolute value) of J(C,C) between bridgehead carbons with increase in the puckering angle of the bicyclobutane moiety. This predicts almost zero coupling between bridgehead carbons of tricyclopentane and explains the positive J(C,C) in tetrahedrane in contrast to the negative bridgehead-bridgehead J(C,C) in bicyclobutane.
Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.