Intermolecular cycloaddition of N-boranonitrone with alkenes.

Ethyl glyoxylate O-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxime (8), on treatment with 2.2 equiv of BF3 x OEt2, generated N-boranonitrone E, which underwent intermolecular cycloaddition with alkenes 18 to afford isoxazolidines 19 in moderate to high yields. The cycloaddition of N-boranonitrone E with most of the alkenes gave 3,5-trans isoxazolidines as the major isomers via a concerted mechanism. However, in the case of 1-methylated cyclic alkenes (18j and 18l), the cycloaddition surprisingly furnished the 3,3a-cis-cycloadducts (19j and 19l) as major isomers. A possible explanation is that the reaction of 1-methylated cyclic alkenes proceeds mainly via a stepwise mechanism. This reaction of terminal alkenes is very useful for synthesis of 1,3-anti aminoalcohol derivatives by reductive cleavage of an N-O bond.