Diastereoselectivity of Chiral Nitrone 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition to Baylis-Hillman Adducts

1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions of chiral nitrones to Baylis-Hillman adducts (β-hydroxy-α-methylene esters) proceed with complete regioselectivity in good yields to afford the corresponding diastereomeric 3,5,5-trisubstituted isoxazolidines. Attack of the dipole from the less sterically hindered side of the dipolarophiles affords C-3/C-5 cis isoxazolidines as the predominant isomers. The strong preference for the C-3/C-5 cis isoxazolidines provided more sterically demanding O-tert-butyldimethylsilylsubstituted nitrone 2. Addition of Lewis acids accelerates the reaction and increases the portion of C-3/C-5 trans isoxazolidines. Microwave irradiation accelerates the reaction, but it produces only a small effect on the diastereoisomeric product ratio.