The early stages of the retro-Diels-Alder reaction are clearly apparent in the structures of the cycloadductsformed between furan or 5-trimethylsilylcyclopentadiene with maleic anhydride and
N-methylmaleimide.The degree of lengthening of the C-C bonds that break in this reaction is clearly related to the knownreactivity of these cycloadducts toward this reaction. In the structures of the cycloadducts
21 and
22derived from 2-methoxyfuran, the early stages of an alternative fragmentation reaction are apparent,consistent with the reactivity of these compounds in solution.