Ring Inversion in Cyclohexane
Cyclohexane in its most stable conformation (the "chair" conformation) possesses two distinct types of hydrogens; those which are in the plane of the ring (equatorial hydrogens) and those which are orthogonal to the ring plane (axial hydrogens). Cyclohexane, however, is a dynamic molecule which is capable of undergoing a "ring inversion" in which the molecule interconverts with an intermediate "boat" conformation, forming a second chain in which all of the original equatorial hydrogens have now become axial, and all axial hydrogens have become equatorial. Ring inversion is discussed in the section on Alkanes: Conformational Analysis, which is covered in the module on Functional Group Reactions.
