Dehydropericyclic routes to reactive intermediates

Abstract Dehydropericyclic reactions are conceptually derived from pericyclic reactions by systematic removal of hydrogen atom pairs. Whereas pericyclic reactions usually involve kinetically stable reactants and products, dehydropericyclic reactions often result from or generate strained reactive intermediates. Nevertheless, such reactions are scattered widely through the chemical literature. The dehydropericyclic concept provides a straightforward approach for inventing new chemical reactions, especially routes to reactive intermediates, and for fitting other known processes into a broader framework. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.