The ene reactions of nitroso compounds involve polarized diradical intermediates.

The ene reactions of nitroso compounds were studied with B3LYP/6-31G* geometry optimizations and energy calculations, along with single point energy evaluations using CASPT2/6-31G** and UCCSD(T)/6-311+G* methods. Reactions of HNO with propene and of MeNO and p-NO2C6H4NO with propene or substituted alkenes were also studied. The reaction mechanism is stepwise and involves a polarized diradical intermediate. The electronic structure of this intermediate is between that of a closed shell polar species and that of a pure diradical, and it is stabilized by polar solvents. A weak C-N bonding interaction combined with a CH-O hydrogen bond leads to heightened barriers to rotation about formally single bonds compared to conventional diradicals. Consequently, rotation is slower than hydrogen abstraction and cyclization to form an aziridine N-oxide. This aziridine N-oxide does not lead to ene products without subsequent ring opening but provides a mechanism for the RNO moiety to translate from one end of the alkene to the other. B3LYP calculations are also able to reproduce kinetic isotope effects and regioselectivity.