Diels-Alder reactions unoccupied molecular orbital

The Diels-Alder reaction is believed to proceed m a single step A deeper level of understanding of the bonding changes m the transition state can be obtained by examining the nodal properties of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the diene and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the dienophile... 

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 the course of investigation of reactivity of the mesoionic compound 44 (Scheme 2) the question arose if this bicyclic system participates in Diels-Alder reactions as an electron-rich or an electron-poor component <1999T13703>. The energy level of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) orbitals were calculated by PM3 method. Comparison of these values with those of two different dienophiles (dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) and 1,1-diethylamino-l-propyne) suggested that a faster cycloaddition can be expected with the electron-rich ynamine, that is, the Diels-Alder reaction of inverse electron demand is preferred. The experimental results seemed to support this assumption. 

In 1960, Yates and Eaton (192) demonstrated that Lewis acids can dramatically accelerate the Diels-Alder reaction. In principle, any transformation wherein coordination of a Lewis acid may reduce the gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of a given set of reactants should be susceptible to Lewis acid catalysis. Indeed, numerous important carbon-carbon bond-forming organic transformations have been shown to be amenable to rate acceleration by a Lewis acid. In many cases, the use... 

This theory proves to be remarkably useful in rationalizing the whole set of general rules and mechanistic aspects described in the previous section as characteristic features of the Diels-Alder reaction. The application of perturbation molecular orbital theory as an approximate quantum mechanical method forms the theoretical basis of Fukui s FMO theory. Perturbation theory predicts a net stabilization for the intermolecular interaction between a diene and a dienophile as a consequence of the interaction of an occupied molecular orbital of one reaction partner with an unoccupied molecular orbital of the other reaction partner. 

Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions (Figure 7.5) in organic solvents leads to an enhancement of the reaction rate, because of the lowering in energy for the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the dienophile, and an improvement in the selectivity with specific ligands. 

Theoretical calculations have been an important means of rationalizing the electronic course of hetero-Diels-Alder and related pericylic reactions for the formation of 1,2-thiazines 25 and 26. MOP AC 93 PM3 calculations have been used to deduce the regioselectivity of [4-1-2] cycloaddition reactions involving thiazinylium perchlorate 27 (Scheme 1) <1999TL1505>. Due to the higher lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) coefficient at C-6 compared to N-2, the C-6 and S-1 behave preferentially as the dienophile double bond in cycloaddition reactions of this substrate with butadienes 28. 

Cycloaddition reactions are those in which two unsaturated molecules add together to yield a cyclic product. For e.xample, Diels-Alder reaction between a diene (four tt electrons) and a dienophile (two tt electrons) yields a cyclohexene. Cycloadditions can take place either by suprafacial or antarafacial pathways. Suprafacial cycloaddition involves interaction between lobes on the same face ol one component and on the same face of the second component. Antarafacial cy cloaddition involves interaction between lobes on the same face of one component and on opposite laces of the other component. The reaction course in a specific case can be found by looking at the symmetry of the HOMO of one component and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the other component. 

As applied to cycloaddition reactions the rule is that reactions are allowed only when all overlaps between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of one reactant and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the other are such that a positive lobe overlaps only with another positive lobe and a negative lobe only with another negative lobe. We may recall that mono-alkenes have two n molecular orbitals (p. 10) and that conjugated dienes have four (p. 38), as shown in Fig. 15.2. A concerted cyclization of two monoalkenes (a [2 + 2]-reaction) is not allowed because it would require that a positive lobe overlap with a negative lobe (Fig. 15.3). On the other hand, the Diels-Alder reaction (a [4 + 2]-reaction) is allowed, whether considered from either direction (Fig. 15.4). 

Dienes that contain electron-donating groups (activated dienes) are more reactive in Diels-Alder reactions than unsubstituted or electron-deficient dienes. In molecular orbital formalism, the substituents on the diene perturb the tT-electron density to cause an increase in the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO Figure 1). In a normal-demand Diels-Alder reaction this results in an increase in the interaction between the HOMO of the diene and the LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) of the dienophile. This interaction, in turn, lowers the transition state energy of the reaction. Similar arguments have also been used to explain the increased reactivity of activated dienes towards heterodienophiles such as aldehydes. 

The two new a bonds that are formed in a Diels-Alder reaction result from a transfer of electron density between the reactants. Molecular orbtial theory provides an insight into this process. When electrons are transferred between molecules, we must use the HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) of one reactant and the LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) of the other because only an empty orbital can accept electrons. It doesn t matter whether we use the HOMO of the dienophile and the LUMO of the diene or the HOMO of the diene and the LUMO of the dienophile. We just need to use the HOMO of one and the LUMO of the other. 

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