Abstract
Orbital interactions of the types, ${\sigma}-{\pi},\;{\sigma}^*-{\pi},\;{\sigma}-{\pi}^*\;and\;{\sigma}^*-{\pi}^*$ are investigated for the rotamers of ${\alpha}$-X-acetones (X = F and Cl) using STO-3G method of calculation. It was found that the interactions are possible only in gauche forms, and the ${\sigma}^*-{\pi}^*$ interactions are in general greater than the $\sigma-\pi$ interactions due to the greater overlap, in spite of the greater energy gap involved; the greater ${\sigma}^*-{\pi}^*$ interaction causes greater lowering of ${\pi}^*$ level relative to the lowering of ${\sigma}$ in the ${\sigma}-{\pi}$ interaction so that both ${\sigma}-{\pi}^*$ and $n-{\pi}^*$ interactions are enhanced in the gauche forms. The extra stability of the gauche form and the red shift in the $n-{\pi}^*$ transition are thus found to be natural corollaries of the greater ${\sigma}^*-{\pi}^*$ interaction in the gauche forms.
