[Cooper]

Hey,

With a Diels-Alder reaction, I know that a dieneophile and a diene combine to make rings. The what was diene part of the product has a double bond now in between the old double bonds of the reactant.

So I am trying to figure out what the two reactants are in this reaction, but I am having trouble!!  My problem is that I know where the two double bonds of the diene were on the reactant, because they would just be on either side of the double bond in the product. But then I can't figure out a diene that would work with that to form the product.


I guess my question is, the double bond of the product of a Diels-Alder reaction is ALWAYS in the middle of where the two double bonds were in the diene reactant, right? Are there any tricks to the reaction that I need to exploit?

I'll attach a picture to what I've got so far (I know the reactants are not right, but that's what I could come up with. I am mostly just including the pic. so that you can see the desired product) and here's a link to a summary of the reaction: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diels%E2%80%93Alder_reaction

[discodermolide]

Your product structure is incorrect. With these molecules you should have a Spiros 6:5ring.

[Cooper]

Yeah I know, I am supposed to find reactants for the product that's written down. I know my reactants aren't correct. Sorry if that was confusing.

[discodermolide]

Then do a retro Diels- Alder reaction and you will find your reactants.
Move the C=C round and break the C-C bonds

[Cooper]

Thanks, got it, figured out it was an intramolecular reaction.