Diels-Alder reactions in water: Enforced hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding

Second-order rate constants have been measured for the Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of cyclopentadiene with dienophiles of varying hydrophobicity and hydrogen-bond acceptor capacity in water, in a series of organic solvents and in alcohol-water mixtures. The intramolecular DA reaction of N-furfuryl-Nalkylacrylamides was also investigated in the same reaction media. The often huge rate accelerations in water appear to be inherent in the activation process of the cycloaddition and do not originate from diene-dienophile association. A pseudothermodynamic analysis of the rate acceleration in water relative to 1- propanol and 1-propanol-water mixtures provides evidence for two factors dominating the rate enhancement in water: hydrogen-bond stabilization of the polarized activated complex and the decrease of the hydrophobic surface area of the reactants during the activation process.