Diels-Alder reactions theory

In summary, a wealtli of experimental data as well as a number of sophisticated computer simulations univocally indicate that two important effects underlie the acceleration of Diels-Alder reactions in aqueous media hydrogen bonding and enforced hydrophobic interactionsIn terms of transition state theory hydrophobic hydration raises the initial state more tlian tlie transition state and hydrogen bonding interactions stabilise ftie transition state more than the initial state. The highly polarisable activated complex plays a key role in both of these effects. 

Frontier orbital analysis is a powerful theory that aids our understanding of a great number of organic reactions Its early development is attributed to Professor Kenichi Fukui of Kyoto University Japan The application of frontier orbital methods to Diels-Alder reactions represents one part of what organic chemists refer to as the Woodward-Hoffmann rules a beautifully simple analysis of organic reactions by Professor R B Woodward of Harvard University and Professor Roald Hoffmann of Cornell University Professors Fukui and Hoffmann were corecipients of the 1981 Nobel Prize m chemistry for their work... 

The mechanism of the Diels-Alder reaction is not as simple as usually depicted. This may, in part, explain some of the problems encountered when this reaction has been appHed on an industrial scale. A number of different theories have been proposed for this reaction (50). 

More complete interpretations of Diels-Alder regioselectivity have been developed. MO results can be analyzed from an electrostatic perspective by calculating potentials at the various atoms in the diene and dienophile. These results give a more quantitatively accurate estimate of the substituent effects. Diels-Alder regioselectivity can also be accounted for in terms of HSAB theory (see Section 1.2.3). The expectation would be that the most polarizable (softest) atoms would lead to bond formation and that regioselectivity would reflect the best mateh between the diene and dienophile termini. These ideas have been applied using 3-2IG computations. The results are in agreement with the ortho rule for normal-electron-demand Diels-Alder reactions. ... 

Calculations at several levels of theory (AMI, 6-31G, and MP2/6-31G ) find lower activation energies for the transition state leading to the observed product. The transition-state calculations presumably reflect the same structural features as the frontier orbital approach. The greatest transition-state stabilization should arise from the most favorable orbital interactions. As discussed earlier for Diels-Alder reactions, the-HSAB theory can also be applied to interpretation of the regiochemistry of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddi-... 

According to Frontier Molecular Orbital (FMO) theory, Diels-Alder reaction between an electron-rich diene and an electron-poor dienophile involves interaction between the highest-occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) on the diene and the lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) on the dienophile. The better the HOMO/LUMO overlap and the smaller their energy difference, the more favorable the interaction and the faster the reaction. 

Asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions using a dienophile containing a chiral auxiliary were developed more than 20 years ago. Although the auxiliary-based Diels-Alder reaction is still important, it has two drawbacks - additional steps are necessary, first to introduce the chiral auxiliary into the starting material, and then to remove it after the reaction. At least an equimolar amount of the chiral auxiliary is, moreover, necessary. After the discovery that Lewis acids catalyze the Diels-Alder reaction, the introduction of chirality into such catalysts has been investigated. The Diels-Alder reaction utilizing a chiral Lewis acid is truly a practical synthetic transformation, not only because the products obtained are synthetically useful, but also because a catalytic amount of the chiral component can, in theory, produce a huge amount of the chiral product. 

The reactivity of the carbo-Diels-Alder reaction, as well as the other reactions considered in this chapter, can be accounted for by a simple FMO line of reasoning, i.e., the energy term from second-order perturbation theory... 

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. 

According to the frontier orbital theory, a bond preferentially forms between the atoms with the largest frontier orbital amplitudes (Sect. 3.4 in the Chapter Elements of a Chemical Orbital Theory by Inagaki in this volume). This is applicable for the regioselectivities of Diels-Alder reactions [15]. The orbital mixing rules are shown here to be useful to understand and design the regioselectivities. 

The orbital mixing theory was developed by Inagaki and Fukui [1] to predict the direction of nonequivalent orbital extension of plane-asymmetric olefins and to understand the n facial selectivity. The orbital mixing rules were successfully apphed to understand diverse chemical phenomena [2] and to design n facial selective Diels-Alder reactions [28-34], The applications to the n facial selectivities of Diels-Alder reactions are reviewed by Ishida and Inagaki elesewhere in this volume. Ohwada [26, 27, 35, 36] proposed that the orbital phase relation between the reaction sites and the groups in their environment could control the n facial selectivities and review the orbital phase environments and the selectivities elsewhere in this volume. Here, we review applications of the orbital mixing rules to the n facial selectivities of reactions other than the Diels-Alder reactions. 

Abstract Diels-Alder reaction is one of the most fundamental and important reactions for organic synthesis. In this chapter we review the smdies of the rr-facial selectivity in the Diels-Alder reactions of the dienes having unsymmetrical rr-plane. The theories proposed as the origin of the selectivity are discussed. 

It becomes intriguing to inquire what leads to the observed contrasteric reactivity. Intensive studies to disclose the origin of Tt-facial selectivity examined various dienes having unsymmetrical 7t-plane, since their reactions potentially generate five or more consecutive stereocenters with one operation. In this chapter, we review the theories to disclose the origin of 7t-facial selectivity in Diels-Alder reactions of the substrates having unsymmetrical 7t-planes. Recent works are discussed. 

Anti TT-facial selectivity with respect to the sterically demanded substituent in the Diels-Alder reactions of dienes having unsymmetrical tt-plane has been straightforwardly explained and predicted on the basis of the repulsive interaction between the substituent and a dienophile. However, there have been many counter examples, which have prompted many chemists to develop new theories on the origin of 7t-facial selectivity. We have reviewed some theories in this chapter. Most of them successfully explained the stereochemical feature of particular reactions. We believe that the orbital theory will give us a powerful way of understanding and designing of organic reactions. 

The enyne cross metathesis was first developed in 1997 [170,171]. Compared to CM it benefits from its inherent cross-selectivity and in theory it is atom economical, though in reality the aUcene cross-partner is usually added in excess. The inabihty to control product stereochemistry of ECM reactions is the main weakness of the method. ECM reactions are often directly combined with other transformations like cyclopropanation [172], Diels-Alder reactions [173], cychsations [174] or ring closing metathesis [175]. 

Goldstein, E., Beno, B., Houk, K. N., 1996, Density Functional Theory Prediction of the Relative Energies and Isotope Effects for the Concerted and Stepwise Mechanism of the Diels-Alder Reaction of Butadiene and Ethylene , J. Am. Chem. Soc., 118, 6036. 

It is of interest to investigate the usefulness of this theory to the chemical change involving the interaction between the conjugated systems 56,62,145). Such a-n interactions are frequently stereoselective. The addition to olefinic double bonds and the a, -elimination are liable to take place with the fraMS-mode 146h The Diels-Alder reaction occurs with the cis-fashion with respect to both diene and dienophile. 

The thermal Diels-Alder reactions of anthracene with electron-poor olefinic acceptors such as tetracyanoethylene, maleic anhydride, maleimides, etc. have been studied extensively. It is noteworthy that these reactions are often accelerated in the presence of light. Since photoinduced [4 + 2] cycloadditions are symmetry-forbidden according to the Woodward-Hoffman rules, an electron-transfer mechanism has been suggested to reconcile experiment and theory.212 For example, photocycloaddition of anthracene to maleic anhydride and various maleimides occurs in high yield (> 90%) under conditions in which the thermal reaction is completely suppressed (equation 75). 

The first photochemical reactions to be correlated with PMO theory were the dimerizations of anthracene, tetracene, pentacene, and acenaphthylene. 36> More detailed energy surfaces for the photodimerization reactions of butadiene have also been calculated. 30> In the category of simplified calculations lie studies of the regiospecificity of Diels-Alder reactions 37>, and reactivity in oxetane-forming reactions. 38,39) jn these... 

AMI semi-empirical and B3LYP/6-31G(d)/AMl density functional theory (DFT) computational studies were performed with the purpose of determining which variously substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles would participate in Diels-Alder reactions as dienes and under what conditions. Also, bond orders for 1,3,4-oxadiazole and its 2,5-diacetyl, 2,5-dimethyl, 2,5-di(trifluoromethyl), and 2,5-di(methoxycarbonyl) derivatives were calculated <1998JMT153>. The AMI method was also used to evaluate the electronic properties of 2,5-bis[5-(4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[A thien-2-yl)thien-2-yl]-l,3,4-oxadiazole 8. The experimentally determined redox potentials were compared with the calculated highest occupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO/LUMO) energies. The performance of the available parameters from AMI was verified with other semi-empirical calculations (PM3, MNDO) as well as by ab initio methods <1998CEJ2211>. 

In addition to conventional ab initio methods, techniques based on the density functional theory (DFT) have also been used to study the Diels-Alder reaction between butadiene and ethylene97-99. With these kinds of methods, a concerted mechanism through a symmetric transition state is also predicted. Several kinds of density functionals have been used. The simplest one is based on the Local Density Approach (LDA), in which all the potentials depend only on the density. More sophisticated functionals include a dependence on the gradient of the density, such as that of Becke, Lee, Yang and Parr (BLYP). 

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