Domino Diels–Alder reactions of N-methoxyethyl-7-oxa-norbornadiene-2,3-dicarboximide: an elusive, highly reactive dienophile

Abstract Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) has been used to generate the novel 7-oxa-norbornadiene-2,3-dicarboxylic imide that in situ gave an unprecedented cycloaddition reaction cascade with the imidofuran, a side-product of FVP. Stereoselectivity of cycloadditions was studied with the aid of density functional calculations, which fully support observed exo / endo -selectivity.