Conformational equilibria and interaction preference in complex of isoprene-maleic anhydride

The rotational spectrum of the isoprene-maleic anhydride complex has been investigated by pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy and interpreted with complementary quantum chemical calculations. Theoretical predictions have yielded four plausible isomers, all residing within an energy window of 12 kJ mol-1. However, two distinct isomers characterized by a π-π stacked configuration have been experimentally observed in pulsed jets, which have differed in the orientation of isoprene over maleic anhydride. The relative population ratio of the two detected isomers has been estimated to be NI/NII ≈ 3/1 from rigorous measurements of the relative intensity on a set of μc-type transitions. Remarkably, this study underscores the pivotal role played by the interaction between the CC bonding orbital (π) of isoprene and the CC antibonding orbital (π*) of maleic anhydride in stabilizing the target complex.