Unexpected shielding of methyl group protons in some piperidines

High resolution 1H and 13C NMR spectra of four 3-ethyl-4-hydroxy- 4-phenylpiperidines 1-4 have been recorded in CDCl3 and analysed. The conformations of phenyl and hydroxyl groups at C(4) and ethyl group at C(3) were analysed in detail. The chemical shift of the methyl protons in the ethyl group are quite surprising; they are close to TMS in CDCl(3) and even negative in DMSO-d6. These results are interpreted in terms of the magnetic anisotropy of the phenyl rings at C(2) and C(4) which, in turn, depend on the conformations of the ethyl group at C(3) and the hydroxyl group at C(4). Favoured conformations of ethyl group at C(3) and hydroxyl group at C(4) were calculated by AM1 methods.