Synthesis and Diels-Alder Reactivity of 2,3,5,6-Tetramethylidenenorbornane

Pd-catalyzed double carbomethoxylation of the Diels-Alder adduct of cyclo-pentadiene and maleic anhydride yielded the methyl norbornane-2,3-endo-5, 6-exo-tetracarboxylate ( 4 ) which was transformed in three steps into 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-idenenorbornane ( 1 ). The cycloaddition of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) to 1 giving the corresponding monoadduct 7 was 364 times faster (toluene, 25°) than the addition of TCNE to 7 yielding the bis-adduct 9 . Similar reactivity trends were observed for the additions of TCNE to the less reactive 2,3,5,6-tetramethylidene-7-oxanorbornane ( 2 ). The following second order rate constants (toluene, 25°) and activation parameters were obtained for: 1 + TCNE → 7 : k₁ = (255 + 5) 10^?4 mol^?1 · s^?1, ΔH≠ = (12.2 ± 0.5) kcal/mol, ΔS≠ = (?24.8 ± 1.6) eu.; 7 + TCNE → 9 , k₂ = (0.7 ± 0.02) 10^?4 mol^?1 · s^?1, ΔH≠ = (14.1 ± 1.0) kcal/mol, ΔS≠ = ( ?30 ± 3.5) eu.; 2 + TCNE → 8 : k₁ = (1.5 ± 0.03) 10^?4 mol^?1 · s^?1, ΔH≠ = (14.8 ± 0.7) kcal/mol, ΔS≠ = (?26.4 ± 2.3) eu.; 8 + TCNE → 10 ; k₂ = (0.004 ± 0.0002) 10^?4 mol^?1 · s^?1, ΔH≠ = (17 ± 1.5) kcal/mol, ΔS≠ = (?30 ± 4) eu. The possible origins of the relatively large rate ratios k₁/k₂ are discussed briefly.