Tandem Pericyclic Reactions in Synthesis of Azines Part I. Pm3 Study of Thermal Behavior of 1-Aza-1,3,5-Hexatrienes

This paper presents results of PM3 calculations of the disrotatory thermal electrocyclization of several simple azahexatrienes and a short review of selected papers concerning formation of azines in thermal processes starting from aza-1,3,5-hexatriene derivatives and occurring, we believe, as tandem pericyclic processes involving disrotatory electrocyclization followed by a concerted elimination or other thermal reactions. The results of calculations in some cases support the mechanistic propositions based on the results of synthetic experiments, in the other ones they seem to deny them, pointing out to pericyclic processes.