Theoretical study of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrone and fulminic acid with substituted ethylenes

Molecular orbital calculations were performed to examine the electronic effects involved in the regioselectivity in the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrone and fulminic acid. The substituted ethylene dipolarophiles were selected to represent a range of electron-donating/withdrawing abilities: amino, methyl, carbaldehyde (both in the s-cis and the s-trans conformations), and nitrile. The reactions were all asynchronous, with early transition sites. The regioselectivity was correlated with the ability of the substituent to donate or withdraw electrons. With electron-donating substituents, the substituent was directed preferentially to the oxygen end of the dipole and this shifted toward the other regioisomer as the electron-withdrawing ability of the substitutent increased. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 1795–1804, 1998