Transition Diels-Alder

Fig. 5.35 Geometry predicted by CASSCF ab initio calculations of the two possible transition structure geometries for the Diels-Alder reaction between ethene and butadiene. (Figure adapted from Houk KN, J Gonzalez and Y Li 1995. Pericyclic Reaction Transition States Passions and Punctilios 1935-1995. Accounts of Chemical Research 28 81-90.)...

Under the usual conditions their ratio is kinetically controlled. Alder and Stein already discerned that there usually exists a preference for formation of the endo isomer (formulated as a tendency of maximum accumulation of unsaturation, the Alder-Stein rule). Indeed, there are only very few examples of Diels-Alder reactions where the exo isomer is the major product. The interactions underlying this behaviour have been subject of intensive research. Since the reactions leadirig to endo and exo product share the same initial state, the differences between the respective transition-state energies fully account for the observed selectivity. These differences are typically in the range of 10-15 kJ per mole. ... 

In summary, it seems that for most Diels-Alder reactions secondary orbital interactions afford a satisfactory rationalisation of the endo-exo selectivity. However, since the endo-exo ratio is determined by small differences in transition state energies, the influence of other interactions, most often steric in origin and different for each particular reaction, is likely to be felt. The compact character of the Diels-Alder activated complex (the activation volume of the retro Diels-Alder reaction is negative) will attenuate these eflfects. The ideas of Sustmann" and Mattay ° provide an attractive alternative explanation, but, at the moment, lack the proper experimental foundation. 

The regioselectivity benefits from the increased polarisation of the alkene moiety, reflected in the increased difference in the orbital coefficients on carbon 1 and 2. The increase in endo-exo selectivity is a result of an increased secondary orbital interaction that can be attributed to the increased orbital coefficient on the carbonyl carbon ". Also increased dipolar interactions, as a result of an increased polarisation, will contribute. Interestingly, Yamamoto has demonstrated that by usirg a very bulky catalyst the endo-pathway can be blocked and an excess of exo product can be obtained The increased di as tereo facial selectivity has been attributed to a more compact transition state for the catalysed reaction as a result of more efficient primary and secondary orbital interactions as well as conformational changes in the complexed dienophile" . Calculations show that, with the polarisation of the dienophile, the extent of asynchronicity in the activated complex increases . Some authors even report a zwitteriorric character of the activated complex of the Lewis-acid catalysed reaction " . Currently, Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions is everyday practice in synthetic organic chemistry. 

Breslow immediately grasped the significance of his observation. He interpreted this discovery in terms of a hydrophobic effect Since in the Diels-Alder reaction. .. the transition state. .. brings together two nonpolar groups, one might expect that in water this reaction could be accelerated by hydrophobic interactions ". ... 

Figure 1.5. Chemical potential of the initial state, the transition state and the product of the Diels-Alder reaction between methyl vinyl ketone and cyclopentadiene in water as compared to 1-propanol The data are taken from r. 56.

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. 

First, the use of water limits the choice of Lewis-acid catalysts. The most active Lewis acids such as BFj, TiQ4 and AlClj react violently with water and cannot be used However, bivalent transition metal ions and trivalent lanthanide ions have proven to be active catalysts in aqueous solution for other organic reactions and are anticipated to be good candidates for the catalysis of aqueous Diels-Alder reactions. 

Evans and co-workers investigated the effect of a number of -symmetric bis(oxazoline) ligands on the copper(II)-catalysed Diels-Alder reaction of an N-acyloxazolidinone with cyclopentadiene. Enantiomeric excesses of up to 99% have been reported (Scheme 3.4). Evans et al." suggested transition state assembly 3.7, with a square planar coordination environment around the central copper ion. In this scheme the dienophile should be coordinated predominantly in an cisoid fashion in... 

Two approaches to convergent steroid syntheses are based on the thermal opening of benzocyclobutenes to the o-quinodimethane derivatives (see p. 80 W. Oppolzer, 1978 A) and their stereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder cyclizations. T, Kametani (1977 B, 1978) obtained (+ )-estradiol in a six-step synthesis. The final Diels-Alder reaction occurred regio- and stereoselectively in almost quantitative yield, presumably because the exo transition state given below is highly favored over the endo state in which rings A and D would stcrically inter-... 

The Diels-Alder cycloaddition is one example of a pencyclic reaction, which is a one step reaction that proceeds through a cyclic transition state Bond formation occurs at both ends of the diene system and the Diels-Alder transition state involves a cyclic array of six carbons and six tt electrons The diene must adopt the s cis conformation m the transition state... 

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... 

The transition state for the first step of the Claisen rearrangement bears much m common with the transition state for the Diels-Alder cycloaddition Both involve a con certed six electron reorganization... 

Cyanohydrins are formed by nucleophilic addition of HCN to the carbonyl group of an aldehyde or a ketone Cycloadd ition (Section 10 12) Addition such as the Diels-Alder reaction in which a ring is formed via a cyclic transition state... 

In the area of moleculady designed hot-melt adhesives, the most widely used resins are the polyamides (qv), formed upon reaction of a diamine and a dimer acid. Dimer acids (qv) are obtained from the Diels-Alder reaction of unsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid is an example. Judicious selection of diamine and diacid leads to a wide range of adhesive properties. Typical shear characteristics are in the range of thousands of kilopascals and are dependent upon temperature. Although hot-melt adhesives normally become quite brittle below the glass-transition temperature, these materials can often attain physical properties that approach those of a stmctural adhesive. These properties severely degrade as the material becomes Hquid above the melt temperature. 

To date a number of reactions have been carried out in ionic liquids [for examples, see Dell Anna et al. J Chem Soc, Chem Commun 434 2002 Nara, Harjani and Salunkhe Tetrahedron Lett 43 1127 2002 Semeril et al. J Chem Soc Chem Commun 146 2002 Buijsman, van Vuuren and Sterrenburg Org Lett 3 3785 2007]. These include Diels-Alder reactions, transition-metal mediated catalysis, e.g. Heck and Suzuki coupling reactions, and olefin metathesis reactions. An example of ionic liquid acceleration of reactions carried out on solid phase is given by Revell and Ganesan [Org Lett 4 3071 2002]. 

Another stereochemical feature of the Diels-Alder reaction is addressed by the Alder rule. The empirical observation is that if two isomeric adducts are possible, the one that has an unsaturated substituent(s) on the alkene oriented toward the newly formed cyclohexene double bond is the preferred product. The two alternative transition states are referred to as the endo and exo transition states ... 

The selection rules for cycloaddition reactions can also be derived from consideration of the aromaticity of the transition state. The transition states for [2tc -f 2tc] and [4tc -1- 2tc] cycloadditions are depicted in Fig. 11.11. For the [4tc-1-2tc] suprafacial-suprafacial cycloaddition, the transition state is aromatic. For [2tc -F 2tc] cycloaddition, the suprafacial-suprafacial mode is antiaromatic, but the suprafacial-antarafacial mode is aromatic. In order to specify the topology of cycloaddition reactions, subscripts are added to the numerical classification. Thus, a Diels-Alder reaction is a [4tc -f 2 ] cycloaddition. The... 

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-... 

Examine transition-state structures and bond density surfaces for the Diels-Alder, ene and Cope reactions. 

Electrostatic potential map for transition state for Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene and acrylonitrile shows negatively-charged regions (in red) and positively-charged regions (in blue). 

Compare electrostatic potential maps for the following Diels-Alder transition states cyclopentadiene+ethene, cyclopentadiene+acrylonitrile and cyclopentadiene+ tetracyanoethylene, with those of reactants cyclopentadiene, ethene, acrylonitrile and tetracyanoethylene. Are electrons transferred from diene to dienophile in the transition states (relative to reactants) or vice versa For which reaction is the transfer the greatest The least Quantify your conclusion by measuring the total charge on the diene and dienophile components in the three transition states. 

Calculate activation energies for the three Diels-Alder reactions (energy of transition state - sum of energies of reactants). Which reaction has the smallest energy barrier Which has the largest energy barrier Do your results parallel the measured relative rates of the same reactions (see table at left) ... 

Check your predictions by calculating activation energies for Diels-Alder additions. Data for transition states 1-methylcyclopentadiene+acrylonitrile and 1-methyl-cyclopentadiene+acrylonitrile BF3 are available. 

Repeat your analysis for Z,Z-hexa-2,4-diene, and again calculate the energy to twist the diene into the same conformation as seen in the Diels-Alder transition state (Z,Z-hexa-2,4-diene+TCNE). Compare the two twisting energies , and rationalize the observed relative rates for the two cycloaddition reactions. 

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