Question

Draw the major products obtained from the reaction of one equivalent of HCl with the following compounds. For each reaction, indicate the kinetic and thermodynamic products.

a. 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-pentadiene

b. 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-pentadiene

Short answer

A conjugated diene and an alkene (dienophile) react to generate unsaturated six-membered rings in the Diels-Alder reaction. The reaction is also known as a "cycloaddition" because it results in the production of a cyclic product via a cyclic transition state.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of Diels-Alder’s reaction-

A conjugated diene and an alkene (dienophile) react to generate unsaturated six-membered rings in the Diels-Alder reaction. The reaction is also known as a "cycloaddition" because it results in the production of a cyclic product via a cyclic transition state.

Step 2:

a)An electron-donating substituent in the diene because electron donation would increase its nucleoplicity.

b)An electron-donating substituent in the dienophile because electron donation would decrease its nucleoplicity.

c) An electron-withdrawing substituent in the diene because electron withdrawing would decrease its nucleoplicity.