Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction to “Woodward-Hoffmann Rules”. The rationalization of the Woodward-Hoffmann rules may be made on the basis of conservation of orbital symmetry between the reactants and the products. The Woodward–Hoffmann rules present the stereochemistry of pericyclic reactions. Pericyclic reactions include electrocyclic reactions, cycloadditions, sigmatropic reactions, and chelotropic reactions. Electrocyclic reactions involve the formation of a single σ-bond between the termini of a fully-conjugated linear π-bond system, or the reverse reaction. Cycloaddition reactions occur when two or more reactants combine additively to form a cyclic compound, no small fragment are eliminated, and σ-bonds are formed but not broken. The reverse reactions are cycloreversion reactions. Sigmatropic rearrangements are concerted thermally or photochemically induced reactions in which a σ-bond, flanked by one or more π-electron systems, migrates. Chelotropic reactions include those reactions in which two σ-bonds that terminate at a single atom are made or broken in concert. Such reactions are a special case of cycloaddition reactions.
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