Thermodynamic vs. kinetic control in the Diels-Alder cycloaddition of cyclopentadiene to 2,3-dicyano-p-benzoquinone

Diels-Alder cycloaddition of cyclopentadiene (1a) to 2,3-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (2a), when performed in methanol solvent at ambient temperature, proceeds with kinetic control to afford 1,4,4a,8a-tetrahydro-5,8-dioxo-1,4-methanonaphthalene-4a,8a-dicarbonitrile (7, 77% yield). However, when this cycloaddition is performed by refluxing an equimolar solution of1a and2a in benzene for 3 h, the product of thermodynamic control, i.e., 1,4,4a,8a-tetrahydro-5,8-dioxo-1,4-methanonaphthalene-6,7-dicarbonitrile (3a) is obtained in 64% yield. The structure of3a was confirmed by an analysis of the reduced intramolecular photocyclization product,9.