Cycloadditions: the Diels-Alder reaction


The Diels-Alder reaction can be studied at two levels:
  1. Looking at the effect of substituents on energies and geometries
  2. Looking at the effect on orbitals

The first can be done conveniently from our mopac submit page, where a Diels-Alder section is found. Check the "Substituted transition states" link for suggestions on how to proceed.
This part could be done before embarking upon the more sophisticated and time-consuming orbital calculations.

In the pages below the emphasis is on the substituent effect on orbitals, which should give an explanation for the substituent effect on product formation.
Cosmoplayer or another VRML viewer is required, and some patience, as both the calculations and the transfer of the large VRML files may take quite long.



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