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Highly diastereo- and enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions between functional ketonitrones and β-substituted enals are promoted by organocatalysis with the imidazolidinium catalyst of MacMillan. Study of the scope of the reaction shows that high selectivities are conserved by varying the N-protecting group or the ester function. However it is sensitive to sterical interaction with the C-substituent of the nitrone. Reaction proceeds in all cases with a high exo selectivity. In most cases, a third diastereomer, not compatible with a concerted mechanism, was observed, although in minute amount. DFT calculations evidence that the cycloaddition proceeds in a non-concerted fashion by a first oxa Michael-type addition of the nitrone to the double bond followed by a cyclization. This mechanism explains the formation of the observed minor diastereomers. In addition, the diastereo- and enantioselectivities of the reaction were shown to be intermediately thermodynamically controlled and the diastereomeric ratio is modulated by the kinetics of iminium hydrolysis.

Bicyclic isoxazolidines displaying one or two quaternary stereocenter(s) were formed starting from functional cyclic ketonitrones equipped with a phenyl glycinol chiral auxiliary. The products were engaged in stereocontrolled 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with a range of electron-rich and electron-poor dipolarophiles. A new reductive removal of the phenyl glycinol chiral auxiliary was introduced and was shown to afford chemoselectively a quaternary isoxazolidine derivative (of oxaprolinol-type) without cleaving the N–O isoxazolidine bond. Keeping the aldehyde function masked as a cyclic pseudo-acetal, the liberated oxy-amine function was shown to be available for a pseudo-peptide coupling with various N-protected amino acids. The isoxazolidine ring was opened by a reductive N–O bond cleavage, giving a pseudo-dipeptide that was C-terminated with an aldehyde function.

Enantiopure vinyl ethers of Stericol® underwent diastereoselective thermal 1,3 dipolar cycloadditions with N-benzyl, N-benzhydryl, and N-PMB aspartate ester nitrones. Chemoselective N-debenzylation of the resulting cycloadducts afforded diastereomerically and enantiomerically pure crystalline NH-isoxazolidine, the absolute configuration of which was established by X-ray crystallography. N-Protection and N–O cleavage of this isoxazolidine gave enantioenriched quaternary aspartate derivatives bearing functionalized side chains.