Synthesis of 2-Quinuclidonium by Eliminating Water: Experimental Quantification of the High Basicity of Extremely Twisted Amides

Abstract

The chemical properties of an extremely twisted amide are examined quantitatively for the first time. The predicted high basicity of 2-quinuclidonium is confirmed experimentally by measuring the gas-phase proton affinity using the extended kinetic method. Fragmentation of this molecule further reveals that the lack of resonance stabilization weakens the amide bond. Furthermore, a new route for synthesizing 2-quinuclidonium by eliminating water is demonstrated in the gas phase.