Frontier molecular orbital theory general reactivity

According to the frontier molecular orbital theory (FMO) of chemical reactivity, the formation of a transition state is due to an interaction between the frontier orbitals, such as HOMO and LUMO of reacting species. In general, the important frontier orbitals for a nucleophile reacting with an electrophile are HOMO (nucleophile) and LUMO (electrophile). 

Although sophisticated electronic structure methods may be able to accurately predict a molecular structure or the outcome of a chemical reaction, the results are often hard to rationalize. Generalizing the results to other similar systems therefore becomes difficult. Qualitative theories, on the other hand, are unable to provide accurate results but they may be useful for gaining insight, for example why a certain reaction is favoured over another. They also provide a link to many concepts used by experimentalists. Frontier molecular orbital theory considers the interaction of the orbitals of the reactants and attempts to predict relative reactivities by second-order perturbation theory. It may also be considered as a simplified version of the Fukui function, which considered how easily the total electron density can be distorted. The Woodward-Hoffmann rules allow a rationalization of the stereochemistry of certain types of reactions, while the more general qualitative orbital interaction model can often rationalize the preference for certain molecular structures over other possible arrangements. 

The BDE theory does not explain all observed experimental results. Addition reactions are not adequately handled at all, mostly owing to steric and electronic effects in the transition state. Thus it is important to consider both the reactivities of the radical and the intended coreactant or environment in any attempt to predict the course of a radical reaction (31). Application of frontier molecular orbital theory may be more appropriate to explain certain reactions (32,33). Radical reactivities have been studied by esr spectroscopy (34-36) and modeling based on general reactivity and radical polarity (37). Recent radical trapping studies have provided considerable insight into the course of free-radical reactions, particularly addition polymerizations, using radical traps such as 2,4-diphenyl-4-methyl-l-pentene (a-methylstyrene dimer, MSD) (38-44) and 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2,3-dihydro-liT-isoindol-2-yloxyl (45-49). 

Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory has been successful in rationalizing the reactivity, electroselectivity, and regioselectivity of many heterocycles, including mesomeric betaines. To apply FMO theory, some knowledge of the frontier orbital coefficients and energies is necessary, and it is useful to draw some general conclusions about the frontier orbitals in mesomeric betaines. 

The extent and the sense of diastereoselection largely depends on the steric and electronic nature of the cycl oaddends, and is commonly rationalized in terms of frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory and steric considerations1-2,6-26 34. Although endo transition states generally seem favored in intermolecular reactions, stereoselection is often unpredictable. In some cases, isomerization of the commonly obtained Z-nitrone to the more reactive -form is invoked to explain anomalous results. However, as in the case of cyclic nitrones where isomerization... 

---