Controlling the reactivity of enol ether radical cations via the substitution pattern: investigation into electrochemically induced Diels–Alder reactions†

Abstract

Enol ether radical cations are interesting intermediates for various transformations, yet their lifetime can be too short to be harnessed for synthetic organic transformations. An additional methyl group installed in the β-position of an enol ether was found to efficiently control the reactivity, leading to novel electrochemically induced Diels–Alder reactions with enhanced flexibility in view of the substrate structure.