Fluoropropenoates as dienophiles in the Diels–Alder reaction

Several fluorinated alkenes were prepared from known ethyl (R)-2-fluoro-4,5-dihydroxyisopropylidine-2-pentenoate (1). The fluoroalkenoates were tested as dienophiles with several dienes and showed cycloaddition only with the very reactive diene, 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (5). Fluorobutenolide 2 reacted with 5 to produce the endo-syn adduct 9 in a highly stereoselective manner.