A type of chemical reaction where two molecules with double or triple bonds combine to form a ring-containing product.
Cyclo- (Greek kyklos, 'circle') + addition (from Latin addere, 'to add to'). The term was formalized in organic chemistry in the mid-20th century to describe Diels-Alder and similar reactions.
The Diels-Alder cycloaddition is so useful and reliable that it won three chemists the Nobel Prize—it's essentially nature's way of building complex ring systems quickly, and chemists have learned to control it precisely.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.