The Lewis acid catalyzed Diels–Alder reactions of dienyl phosphate esters 1 and 2 were examined. 2-Diethylphosphoryloxy-1,3-butadiene (1) was found to react with a variety of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds under Lewis acid catalysis with excellent regioselectivity to give synthetically useful cyclohexene derivatives. The adducts were produced in accordance with the normal rules governing the Diels–Alder addition. In the presence of stannic chloride acyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones such as ethyl vinyl ketone and methyl vinyl ketone reacted rapidly with diene phosphate 1 to give exclusively the para-addition products 8 and 9 in excellent yields. When diene 1 was treated with the complex cyclic enone ester 14 in the presence of ferric chloride the single para-rule adduct 15 was obtained in good yield. The stannic chloride catalyzed Diels–Alder reactions of trans-2-diethylphosphoryloxy-1,3-pentadiene (2) were also studied. Diene phosphate 2 reacted efficiently with a number of acyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones such as methyl vinyl ketone, ethyl vinyl ketone, and trans-3-penten-2-one with complete regio- and stereoselectivity to give single cyclohexene derivatives 38, 39, and 40.
