Circular dichroism spectra and absolute configuration of some aryl methyl sulfoxides

The absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of three aryl sulfoxides, i.e. (-)-(S)-1-naphthyl methyl sulfoxide, (S)-1, (-)-(S)-1-(2-methyl)naphthyl methyl sulfoxide, (S)-2 and (-)-(S)-9-phenanthryl methyl sulfoxide, (S)-3, have been interpreted by means of the coupled oscillator model formulated by DeVoe. Theoretical spectra have been calculated starting from input geometries provided by molecular mechanics (MMX) calculations and by employing standard spectroscopic parameters to describe the allowed transitions of the aromatic and the sulfoxide chromophores. The satisfactory agreement between the predicted and experimental spectra allows us to confirm the configurational assignment of these compounds as (-)/(S). The analysis of CD spectra, affording the right assignment of the absolute configuration (AC) of the alkyl aryl sulfoxides, then offers a practical alternative to the more complex vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy and ab initio optical rotation calculation techniques that have been used very recently to assign the AC of (-)-2 and (-)-3.