A Mechanism Study and an Investigation of the Reason for the Stereoselectivity in the [4+2] Cycloaddition Reaction between Cyclopentadiene and Gem-substituted Ethylene Electrophiles

Abstract

The Molecular Electron Density Theory is applied to the [4+2] cycloaddition reaction between cyclopentadiene and gem-substituted ethylene electrophiles. Calculations are made for reactions, activation energies, and reactivity indices. The results of the experiment are perfectly consistent with activation energies, which unequivocally show that this cyclization’s are is highly stereoselective, in addition, based on ELF examination, the mechanism of these [4+2] cycloadditions occurs in two phases, The mechanisms of these reactions demonstrate that the term "pericyclic reaction" is no more relevant in the 21st century and has been replaced by the term "pseudocyclic".