Diazo Esters as Dienophiles in Intramolecular (4 + 2) Cycloadditions: Computational Explorations of Mechanism.

The first experimental examples of Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of diazo compounds as heterodienophiles with dienes have been studied with density functional theory (DFT) using the M06-2X functional. For comparison, the reactivities of diazo esters as dienophiles or 1,3-dipoles with 1,3-dienes in intermolecular model systems have been analyzed by the distortion/interaction model. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is strongly favored for the intermolecular system. The intramolecular example is unique because the tether strongly favors the (4 + 2) cycloaddition.