Diels-Alder reactions of five-membered heterocycles containing one heteroatom with an N-arylmaleimide were studied. Cycloaddition of 2,5-dimethylfuran (4) with 2-(4-methylphenyl)maleimide (3) in toluene at 60 °C gave bicyclic adduct 5. Cycloadditions of 3 with 2,5-dimethylthiophene (11) and 1,2,5-trimethylpyrrole (14) were also studied. Interestingly, the bicyclic compound 5 cleanly rearranged, with loss of water, when treated with p-toluenesulfonic acid in toluene at 80 °C to give 4,7-dimethyl-2-p-tolylisoindoline-1,3-dione (6).
Keywords: Diels-Alder reactions; acid-catalyzed reactions; dienes; dienophiles.