Reversible Diels-Alder reactions for the generation of dynamic combinatorial libraries

Condensation reactions between various dienes and dienophiles have been screened for reversibility. Functionalized fulvenes, bearing in particular biological groups, and cyanolefins have been found to react rapidly and reversibly, in the temperature range from -10 to +50 degreesC. These results pave the way for the development of dynamic combinatorial libraries based on reversible Diels-Alder chemistry.