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In chemistry, conformational isomerism is a form of stereoisomerism in which the isomers can be interconverted exclusively by rotations about formally single bonds (refer to figure on single bond rotation).〔(IUPAC definition of a conformer ).〕 Such isomers are generally referred to as conformational isomers or conformers and, specifically, as rotamers. Rotations about single bonds are restricted by a rotational energy barrier which must be overcome to interconvert one conformer to another. Conformational isomerism arises when the rotation about a single bond is relatively unhindered. That is, the energy barrier must be small enough for the interconversion to occur. Conformational isomers are thus distinct from the other classes of stereoisomers (i. e. configurational isomers) where interconversion necessarily involves breaking and reforming of chemical bonds. For example, L- & D- and R- & S- configurations of organic molecules have different handedness and optical activities, and can only be interconverted by breaking one or more bonds connected to the chiral atom and reforming a similar bond in a different direction or spatial orientation. The study of the energetics between different rotamers is referred to as conformational analysis. It is useful for understanding the stability of different isomers, for example, by taking into account the spatial orientation and through-space interactions of substituents. In addition, conformational analysis can be used to predict and explain product(s) selectivity, mechanisms, and rates of reactions. == Types of conformational isomerism == The types of conformational isomers are related to the spatial orientations of the substituents between two vicinal atoms. These are eclipsed and staggered. The staggered conformation includes the gauche (±60°) and anti (180°) conformations, depending on the spatial orientations of the two substituents. For example, butane has three rotamers relating to its two methyl (CH3) groups: two gauche conformers, which have the methyls ±60° apart and are enantiomeric, and an anti conformer, where the four carbon centres are coplanar and the substituents are 180° apart (refer to free energy diagram of butane). The energy difference between gauche and anti is 0.9 kcal/mol associated with the strain energy of the gauche conformer.〔 The anti conformer is, therefore, the most stable (~ 0 kcal/mol). The three eclipsed conformations with dihedral angles of 0°, 120°, and 240° are not considered to be rotamers, but are instead transition states of higher energy.〔 Note that the two eclipsed conformations have different energies: at 0° the two methyl groups are eclipsed, resulting in higher energy (~ 5 kcal/mol) than at 120°, where the methyl groups are eclipsed with hydrogens (~ 3.5 kcal/mol). While simple molecules can be described by these types of conformations, more complex molecules require the use of the Klyne–Prelog system to describe the different conformers.〔 More specific examples of conformational isomerism are detailed elsewhere: # Ring conformation # *Cyclohexane conformations with chair and boat conformers. # *Carbohydrate conformation. #Allylic strain – energetics related to rotation about the single bond between sp2 and sp3 carbons. #Atropisomerism – due to restricted rotation about a bond, a molecule can become chiral. #Folding of molecules, where some shapes are stable and functional, but others are not. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「conformational isomerism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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