pericyclicadj.
/ˌpɛrɪˈsʌɪklɪk/, U.S. /ˌpɛrəˈsɪklɪk/, /ˌpɛrəˈsaɪklɪk/ Chemistry.
Of a reaction: involving a concerted rearrangement of bonding in which all the bonds broken or formed in the reaction lie on a closed ring, whether or not a cyclic molecule is involved. Cf. Woodward–Hoffmann n.
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Kolbe1885
pericyclic1969
1969 R. B. Woodward & R. Hoffmann in Angewandte Chemie (Internat. ed.) 8 848/1 We have laid the basis for a general consideration of all pericyclic reactions—that is, reactions in which all first-order changes in bonding relationships take place in concert on a closed curve.
1974 G. B. Gill & M. R. Willis Pericyclic Reactions iv. 99 The basic tenet of the Woodward–Hoffmann theory is that orbital symmetry is conserved in concerted pericyclic reactions.
1998 Chem. in Brit. Sept. 28/2 The potential energy surface of a sequence of pericyclic reactions starting from compounds.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1969