3-Methylcyclopropene-3-carbonitrile as a new enophile of the Alder-ene reaction

By the reactions of 3-methylcyclopropene-3-carbonitrile with methylenecyclohexane, α-methylstyrene and β-pinene products of their cyclopropanation have been obtained, the formation of the latter proceeding by the Alder-ene addition scheme. A DFT study of the reaction mechanism shows that most favourable are exo transition states with syn configuration of the CN group and the ene moiety.