Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction stereochemistry

Alves, C. N., Romero, O. A. S., Da Silva, A. B. F. Theoretical study on the stereochemistry of intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions of azoalkenes. Int. J. Quantum Chem. 2003, 95, 133-136. 

Diene (14) reacted with a series of aldehydes under BFj-OEt2 catalysis in CH2CI2 to give predominantly trans products (Table 10).31 32 Aldol-type products, such as p-hydroxy enones, are isolated (along with dihydropyrones) from the reaction mixtures. Using TFA as a catalyst, the p-hydroxy enones are, as previously described, converted into dihydropyrones. The stereoselectivity of these reactions is consistent with a Mukaiyama-aldol reaction rather than a Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The stereochemistry of the p hydroxy enones is also consistent with the observation that the (Z)-alkoxysilane reacts with the aldehyde in an extended transition state to give anti (threo) aldol products (Scheme 16). In the cases using ZnCh or lanthanide ions as catalysts aldol products have not been detected. 

According to frontier molecular orbital theory (FMO), the reactivity, regio-chemistry and stereochemistry of the Diels-Alder reaction are controlled by the suprafacial in phase interaction of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of one component and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the other. [17e, 41-43, 64] These orbitals are the closest in energy Scheme 1.14 illustrates the two dominant orbital interactions of a symmetry-allowed Diels-Alder cycloaddition. 

Note Added in Proof. The stereochemistry of the Diels-Alder addition reactions shown in Scheme 1 to give products 20-22 has been examined by 400 MHz lH-NMR. These data indicate that the cycloadditions occur with a high degree of stereoselectivity (having diastereoselectivities of greater than 94 6). The chiral Fe environment of the dienophile 17 strongly influences the direction of the facial attack of the diene reactants. 

To demonstrate the feasibility of Diels-Alder cycloaddition using y-pyrones as dienophiles,47 50 the reaction of 3-cyanochromone 31 with diene 32 in toluene proceeded at 200 °C in a sealed tube for 72 h to give the desired cycloadduct 33 in 80% yield [Scheme 6] without observing any inverse electron demand [4 + 2] cycloadducts.51 However, the endo exo ratio was only 1.3 1 as determined by ]H NMR with the stereochemistry assigned using nOe experiments. 

Stable disilenes generally do not undergo Diels-Alder cycloaddition with conjugated dienes16, but the reaction is well known in the cases of more reactive disilene derivatives8. The stereochemistry of the reaction has not been widely studied, but isolated examples such as those shown in equations 86-88 show that the reaction proceeds with retention of the original stereochemistry of both the diene (equation 88)161 and the disilene (equations 86 and 87)162. Reaction of tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)disilene (35) with 1,3-buta-diene in solution yields the expected Diels-Alder adduct 116 (equation 89)68. 

Cycloaddition of enaminone carboxaldehyde (formylenaminone) with a vinyl ether leads to pyrans as hetero-Diels-Alder adducts . The stereochemistry is dependent on the substituents of the N-acyl group and on the reaction temperature (equation 227). 

The cyclobutene ring first opens in an electrocyclic reaction 152. This must be conrotatory as it is a four electron process but there is no stereochemistry at this stage. Then an intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition 153 closes the new six-membered ring. This is a particularly favourable reaction as the formation of the alkene completes a benzene ring. It would not be possible to prepare such an unstable diene so a tandem process is necessary. 

An important strategy for achieving substrate control is the use of chiral auxiliaries, which are structures incorporated into reactants for the purpose of influencing the stereochemistry. Two of the most widely used systems are oxazolidinones " derived from amino acids and sultams derived from camphorsulfonic acid. These groups are most often used as carboxylic acid amides. They can control facial stereoselectivity in reactions such as enolate alkylation, aldol addition, and Diels-Alder cycloadditions, among others. The substituents on the chiral auxiliary determine the preferred direction of approach. 

Thioketones of various types are readily available and are well documented as effective dienophiles. Representative thioketone cycloadditions are listed in Table 5-1. In general, it appears that thioketones usually add to most dienes in high yield at exceptionally low temperatures to afford stable adducts, although some of these adducts tend to undergo retro-Diels-Alder reactions. - Very little has been done toward establishing the regiochemical selectivity of thioketone additions to unsymmetrical 1,3-dienes, and the few such entries in Table 5-1 indicate that mixtures were obtained. The exo/endo stereochemistry of [4 + 2] cycloadditions with unsymmetrical thioketones has not been probed to date. It has been reported that Diels-Alder cycloadditions of thioketones can also be pho-tochemically induced. 

Nucleophilic ring opening of the lactone ring in bicycloadducts of type 5 leads directly to tetrasubstituted cyclohexenes in which the relative stereochemistry of all four contiguous stereocenters is established. Thus, pyrones provide attractive synthetic equivalents to acyclic dienes of type 6 which may be difficult to prepare as pure geometrical isomers and which in many cases do not lead via Diels-Alder cycloaddition to the desired stereochemical relationships. The application of [4+2] cycloaddition reactions of 2-pyrones to synthesizing functionalized cyclohexenes was the partial subject of a 1994 review. ... 

The Diels-Alder (DA) reaction is a pericyclic [4 -I- 2]-cycloaddition reaction where a 47t electron system (a diene) reacts with a 2jt electron system (a dienophile), yielding a new six-membered ring product. The reaction is stereospecific, where the stereochemistry of the starting compounds is preserved in the products. In a DA reaction with normal electron demand, the dienophile typically bears an electron withdrawing substituent, while the diene is electron-rich. The case of the reverse situation, where an electron-poor diene reacts with an electron-rich dienophile, is known as the Diels-Alder reaction with inverse electron demand. 

Bauld, N. L., and Yang, J. "Stereospecificity and Mechanism in Cation Radical Diels-Alder and Cyclobutanation Reactions." Org. Lett, X 773-774 (1999). Gao, D., and Bauld, N. L. Mechanistic Implications of the Stereochemistry of the Cation Radical Diels-Alder Cycloaddition of 4-(cis-2-Deuteriovinyl)anisole to 1,3-Cyclopentadiene." /. Org. Chem., 65,6276-6277 (2000). Saettel, N. J., Oxsgaard, J., and Wiesl, O. "Pericyclic Reactions of Radical Cations." Eur. /. Cftem., 1429-1439 (2001). 

The [4-1-2] cycloadditions of sulfines with 1,3-dienes to give thiacyclohexene 5-oxides 31 are well known reactions. Sulfines are interesting partners in this Diels-Alder type reaction, because the stereochemistry of ring formation can be studied by comparing the cycloadducts derived from geometrical isomers. 

The stereochemistry of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction is analogous to that of the Diels-Alder reaction and is a stereospecific syn addition. Diazomethane, for example, adds stereospecifically to the diesters 43 and 44 to yield the pyrazolines 45 and 46, respectively. 

One of the most useful features of the Diels-Alder reaction is that it isstaeo-specific, meaning that a single product stereoisomer is formed. Furthermore, the stereochemistry of the reactant is maintained. If we carry out the cycloaddition with a cis dienophile, such as methyl ds-2-butenoate, only the cis-substituted cyclohexene product is formed. With methyl tmtts-2-butenoate, only thetrans-substituted cyclohexene product is formed. 

Thermal and photochemical cycloaddition reactions always take place with opposite stereochemistry. As with electrocyclic reactions, we can categorize cycloadditions according to the total number of electron pairs (double bonds) involved in the rearrangement. Thus, a thermal Diels-Alder [4 + 2] reaction between a diene and a dienophile involves an odd number (three) of electron pairs and takes place by a suprafacial pathway. A thermal [2 + 2] reaction between two alkenes involves an even number (two) of electron pairs and must take place by an antarafacial pathway. For photochemical cyclizations, these selectivities are reversed. The general rules are given in Table 30.2. 

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