Face selectivity of the Diels-Alder additions and cheletropic additions of sulfur dioxide to 2- vinyl-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene derivatives

Racemic 6-ethenyl-7-oxabicyclo2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-one ( 23 ), 5-ethenyl-7-oxabicyclo2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-one ( 25 ) and their ethylene acetals 24 and 26 , respectively, were derived from the Diels-Alder adduct of furan to 1-cyanovinyl acetate ( 27 ). The Diels-Alder additions of 26 to dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, to methyl propynoate, to N-phenylmaleimide, and to methyl acrylate were highly exo-face selective, as were the cycloadditions of methyl propynoate to dienones 23 and 25 and of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to ethylenedioxy-diene 24 . The cheletropic additions of SO₂ to 23 – 26 gave exclusively the corresponding sulfolenes 57 – 60 resulting from the exo-face attack of the semicyclic dienes under conditions of kinetic and thermodynamic control.