Diastereoselectivity-Switchable and Highly Enantioselective 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Nitrones to Alkylidene Malonates

Abstract

Trisoxazoline 1/Co(ClO(4))(2).6H(2)O catalyzed the 1,3-cycloaddition between nitrones 3 with alkylidene malonates 2 at 0 degrees C to give the isoxazolidines with both high enantioselectivity and high exo selectivity. However, when the temperature was lowered from 0 to -40 degrees C, the same cycloaddition afforded endo isomers as the major products with good to high enantioselectivity. A mechanism is provided.