The regioselectivity of cycloaddition reactions of trichloronitrosomethane (1) with 2-alkyl (R = Me, Et, i-Pr, t-Bu, CF3, Bz, and Cl) and 2-aryl (Ar = Ph, 4-CH3OPh, 4-CH3Ph, 3-CH3Ph, and 4-ClPh) 1,3-butadienes is described. The orientation of cycloaddition is substituent dependent, producing 2,5-disubstituted (para) and 2,4-disubstituted (meta) 3,6-dihydro-1,2-oxazines from 2-alkyl- and 2-aryl-1,3-butadienes respectively. Increasing the bulk of the substituent from methyl to tert-butyl in 2-alkyl-1,3-butadienes increases the regioselectivity. Kinetic studies in various solvents indicate that plots of log km/kH vs. Hammett σ+ values give straight lines with the ρ values lying between −0.60 and −0.91 for the reactions with 2-aryl-1,3-butadienes. A concerted reaction mechanism is proposed and the orientation preference is consistent with frontier molecular orbital predictions for 2-alkyl-1,3-butadienes. In the reactions with 2-aryl-1,3-butadienes, a transition state leading to a spin-paired diradical, which then converts by partial electron transfer to zwitterionic structure, is proposed. Keywords: trichloronitrosomethane, 3,6-dihydro-1,2-oxazine, regioselectivity, [2 + 4] cycloaddition.
On the Question of Stepwise [4+2] Cycloaddition Reactions and Their Stereochemical Aspects