A variety of dienophiles was used to assess the facial selectivity of Diels−Alder reactions in a series of 1,3-cyclopentadiene derivatives (1−3, 6−10) in which chlorine, bromine, and iodine were plane-nonsymmetric atoms pitted against hydrogen or methyl at C-5. The results were rationalized in terms of the major factor controlling the facial selectivity being related to steric hindrance between the diene and the dienophile. Selectivity did not correlate with reactivity. Facial selectivity in the reactions with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione as the dienophile was also influenced by a second significant factor, postulated to be filled-orbital repulsion with the halogen substituent.

Facial selectivity in the Diels-Alder reactions of 1,3-cyclopentadienes substituted at C-5 by a variety of simple alkyl groups has been assessed with a number of dienophiles. The results are consistent with an explanation based on steric hindrance. Syn addition is more favored with sterically less demanding dienophiles. Diene 6, which is substituted at C-5 with methoxymethyl, shows a remarkable preference for syn addition with less encumbered dienophiles. This may indicate a conformational difference in its syn transition state relative to the transition states for addition syn to methyl, ethyl, or n-butyl substituents (dienes 1, 4, and 5). Dienophiles are more reluctant to add syn to the larger C-5 group with 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene (2) and derivatives (3, and 7) and conformational effects become very important when C-5 bears two alkyl groups, as in dienes 3 and 7.

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