A novel synthesis of 5-functionalized oxazolidin-2-ones from enantiomerically pure 2-substituted N-[(R)-(+)-alpha-methylbenzyl]aziridines.

5-Funtionalized enantiomerically pure oxazolidin-2-ones were prepared in one pot from commercially available chiral aziridines bearing an electron-withdrawing group at C-2 with retention of the configuration in high yields by regioselective aziridine ring-opening followed by intramolecular cyclization.