In
this work we tackle the problem of the substituent effects in
the Diels–Alder cycloadditions between triazolinediones (TADs)
and anthracene. Experiments showed that aryl TADs substituted with
electron-withdrawing groups (EWG) are more reactive than those substituted
with electron-donating (EDG) or alkyl groups. However, the molecular
origin of this preference is not yet understood. By a combination
of methods including the activation strain model (ASM), energy decomposition
analysis (EDA), molecular orbital (MO) theory, and conceptual density
functional theory (CDFT), we disclosed the substituent effects of
TADs. First, ASM/EDA analysis revealed that the reactivity of alkyl
and aryl-substituted TADs is controlled by interaction energies, ΔE
int, which are ultimately defined by orbital
interactions between frontier molecular orbitals. Moreover, alkyl-TADs
are also controlled by the extent of strain at the transition state.
The MO analysis suggested that the rate acceleration for EWG-substituted
TADs is due to a more favorable orbital interaction between the HOMO
of anthracene and the LUMO of the TADs, which is corroborated by calculations
of charge transfer at the transition states. From CDFT, the chemical
potential of anthracene is higher than those of TADs, indicating a
flow of electron density from anthracene to TADs, in agreement with
the results from the electrophilicity index.