Why Do Five-Membered Heterocyclic Compounds Sometimes Not Participate in Polar Diels–Alder Reactions?

The reactions of bicyclic enone (BCE, 1) with cyclopentadiene (Cp, 2) and the five-membered heterocyclic compounds (FHCs) furan 3 and N-methyl pyrrole 4 for the construction of polycyclic heterocyclic compounds have been studied at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. No reaction takes place in the absence of Lewis acid (LA) catalysts as a consequence of the high activation energy associated with these reactions. Electrophilic activation of BCE 1 by formation of a complex with the BF3 LA, 1-BF3, and solvent effects favor the reactions. However, a different reactivity is manifested by Cp 2 and FHCs 3 and 4. Thus, while the reaction of 1-BF3 with Cp 2 yields the expected exo [4 + 2] cycloadduct, the react…