Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeir?o Preto, Universidade de S?o Paulo, Av, Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901 - Ribeir?o Preto - SP, Brazil. lcsilva@aluno.ffclrp.usp.br
Abstract:
We have found that some of the usually poor dienophiles (2-cycloenones) can undergo Diels-Alder reaction at -78 degrees C with unusually high stereoselectivity in the presence of niobium pentachloride as a Lewis acid catalyst. A remarkable difference in reaction rates for unsubstituted and alpha- or beta-methyl substituted 2-cycloenones was also observed.