Abstract Substituents on the diene component have little influence on the periselectivity of the cyclizations of α, β: γ, δ-conjugated azomethine ylides, with 1, 7-electrocyclizations predominating. In some cases, subtle changes to these substituents can, however, influence the product formed, through their effect on the relative energies of the transition states for the 1, 5-(6π) and 1, 7-electrocyclization (8π) processes. The most striking changes in ...