electrocyclicadj.
/ᵻˌlɛktrəʊˈsʌɪklɪk/, /ᵻˌlɛktrəʊˈsɪklɪk/, U.S. /əˌlɛktroʊˈsɪklɪk/, /əˌlɛktrəˈsɪklɪk/, /iˌlɛktroʊˈsɪklɪk/, /iˌlɛktrəˈsɪklɪk/ Chemistry.
Designating a reaction characterized either by the formation of a single bond between the opposite ends of a conjugated organic molecule, forming a cyclic compound or cyclic intermediate, or by the converse process of breaking such a bond; of or relating to such a reaction.
ΚΠ
1965 R. B. Woodward & R. Hoffmann in Jrnl. Amer. Chem. Soc. 87 395/1 We define as electrocyclic transformations the formation of a single bond between the termini of a linear system containing k π-electrons,..and the converse process.
1981 P. Sykes Guidebk. to Mechanism in Org. Chem. (ed. 5) xii. 336 Apart from their intrinsic interest, these electrocyclic reactions have considerable synthetic carbon-carbon bond-forming importance.
2007 Polymer 48 1277/1 The formation of COOH and vinyl groups was also explained by a six-centre electrocyclic mechanism that results in the random breakage of an ester bond of the chain.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1965