O-17 NMR spectra of several alpha-diemides were obtained at natural is
otopic abundance in acetonitrile solution in order to study the confor
mations of these compounds in solution. The O-17 NMR shifts vary with
the intercarbonyl dihedral angle alpha in a sense opposite to that obs
erved for alpha-diketones. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.