A theoretical study on the stereochemistry and protonation of −:CH2—NO2

The molecular conformation of −:CH2NO2 is found to be planar with an extremely shallow potential curve to pyramidal inversion. This suggests that suitable substituents could conceivably perturb the System into a pyramidal configuration corresponding to double minimum on the potential surface and that a chiral carbanion might therefore exist. Rotating the NO2 group out of planarity by 90° raises the barrier to inversion at carbon by an appreciable amount.A Mulliken population analysis gives a charge distribution in which a substantial portion of the negative charge has shifted from carbon to oxygen; this is consistent with the well-known tendency of nitronate ions to undergo simultaneous competitive protonation on carbon and oxygen.