Studies into the Diels-Alder reactions of 5-trimethylsilylthebaine

The introduction of a 5-trimethylsilyl group on the least hindered face of the diene thebaine was anticipated to favor attack by dienophiles from the alternate face, but only gave rise to a rearrangement product when treated with 3-butene-2-one at 110 °C. Reaction with the more reactive benzoquinone at lower temperature gave rise to a very slow reaction from the same face as the silyl group, indicating that a trimethylsilyl group does not sufficiently hinder this face to achieve reaction at the other face.