Concerning restricted rotations in pyridinyl anisoles and pyridinyl phenols bearing saturated handles, and their solid state structures

•Restricted swings of handles in pyridinyl anisoles and phenols are evaluated by DNMR.•In solution, handles of 9–11 atoms long at phenols move freely.•Handles of 10–12 atoms at phenols remain on one side of the oxygenated ring.•In solution, all handles at anisoles remain on one side of the oxygenated ring.•All handles studied are perpendicular to the oxygenated ring in solid-state.