Asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrones and acrolein with a bis-titanium catalyst as chiral Lewis acid.

A mu-oxo-type chiral bis-Ti(IV) oxide (S,S)-1 can be successfully utilized in the asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions between various nitrones 2 and acrolein to give the corresponding isoxazolidines with high to excellent enantioselectivities. For instance, the reaction between nitrone 2 (R = t-Bu) and acrolein in the presence of 10 mol % of bis-Ti(IV) catalyst (S,S)-1 in dichloromethane at -40 degrees C gave the corresponding endo cycloadduct with 97% ee.