Abstract: | The preparations of 5,6-dimethylidene-2exo-bicyclo[2.2.2]octanol ( 8 ), its endo isomer 9 , 5,6-dimethylidene-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octanone ( 10 ) and 2 exo, 3 exo-epoxy-5,6dimethylidenebicyclo[2.2.2]octane ( 11 ) are described. The kinetics of their cycloaddition to tetracyanoethylene has been measured in toluene at 25° together with those of 2,3-dimethylidenebicyclo[2.2.2]octane ( 7 ) and 5,6-dimethylidenebicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (12). The effects of remote substitution on the Diels-Alder reactivity of 2,3-dimethyl idenebicyclo[2.2.2]octanes are compared with those observed in the 2,3-dimethylidenenorbornane series ( 1–6 ). |