Acyclic and cyclic nitrone cycloadditions to 1-cinnamoyl-1-piperidine: A DFT study

Abstract

DFT studies have been carried out for the cycloaddition reactions of a cyclic nitrone, 1-pyrroline-1-oxide and an acyclic nitrone, C,N-diphenyl nitrone to an unsymmetrically disubstituted dipolarophile, 1-cinnamoyl-1-piperidine. These reactions proved to be opposite to each other with respect to the electron demand character predicted by the electronic chemical potentials, electrophilicities and charge transfer at the transition states. The regio- and stereoselectivities have been predicted from DFT based reactivity indices, interaction energy calculations using a perturbative orbital independent theoretical model and the activation parameters of the located transition states. Two different concepts have been used for the evaluation of interaction energies. The selectivities were found to be in conformity with the experimental findings. The time gaps between the formations of C – C and C – O bonds were evaluated from single trajectory simulations. The asynchronicity of bond formation process was analyzed from the wiberg bond indices, atom–atom overlap weighted NAO bond orders and the calculated asymmetry indices of the transition states.