Assignment 2 Electrocyclic reactions

1. Deduce Woodward Hoffmann rule for Z-1,3,5-hextriene undergoing a conrotatory ring closure
reaction to give cyclohexa-1,3-diene.

2. The following reactions proceed through electrocyclic ring closure-ring opening-ring closure
sequence. Identify the structure and stereochemistry of A, B and C, respectively.

3. Comment on the feasibility of the following reactions to occur in a concerted manner (through a
pericyclic pathway). If they are feasible, write the mechanism of the reaction. If they are not
feasible, state the reason for it.
(a)

(b)

4. Identify the pericyclic process responsible for the following reactions. Identify the relative
stereochemistry wherever it is undefined in the structure
(a)

(b)
O O
SnCl4

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