1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions between the D-erythrose and D-threose derived nitrones and methyl acrylate proceed in a regiospecific manner to afford the corresponding 3,5-disubstituted diastereomeric isoxazolidines in good yields. The stereoselectivity was dependent on the steric hindrance of the nitrone. The major products were found to have the C-3/C-4´ erythro and C-3/C-5 cis relative configuration. Its formation can be rationalized by less hindered endo attack of the Z-nitrone in an antiperiplanar manner with respect to the largest group of the cyclic acetal.The nitrone-olefin 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is a powerful reaction in that it can create as many as three new contiguous stereogenic centres in a single step. 1 Based on an evaluation of the nitrone cycloaddition, it was felt that the stereochemistry of these new centers could be controlled if the reaction system were properly designed. 2,3 Regioand stereoselective nitrone cycloaddition, followed by reduction of the N-O bond to produce both an amino and a hydroxy function, allows the synthesis of many products of potential interest. 4 With our continuing efforts to utilize chiral 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, 5 and with the goal of developing a simple route to the synthesis of polyhydroxylated derivatives of pyrrolizidines, 6 which have been shown to display antiviral activity, 7 via an asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition we have recently published the preparation of new D-erythrose-1a and D-threose-6a derived nitrones and the stereoselectivity of their cycloadditions to styrene. 8 We now report the stereoselectivity of the cycloaddition of chiral sugar-derived nitrones 1a-c, 6a and 6b with methyl acrylate.The results are presented in the Table. In all cases the reactions were highly regiospecific, leading to the formation of diastereomeric isoxazolidines 2-5 (Scheme 1) and 7-10 (Scheme 2) as a mixture of three or four diastereoisomers in a good overall yield. 9 Purification by flash chromatography allowed the isolation of the pure major diastereoisomers 2a-c, 7a and 7b, while the isolation and/ or characterization of minor isomers was possible only for some of them. 10 When, methyl acrylate was used instead of styrene, 8 selectivity decreased. Only 48% of major diastereomer 2a for nitrone 1a (Table, entry 1) versus 81% in the case of styrene as dipolarophile 8 was deemed unacceptable. The usefulness of the chiral 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition depends on the diastereoselectivity achieved, since the major diastereoisomers 2a will be used subsequently for the synthesis of pyrrolizidines 11. 11 In light of these differences; we undertook a systematic study of the possibility to influence the selectivity of the cycloaddition. Our objective was the study of diastereoselectivity of cycloadditions stemming from the nitrone part. In the case of the cycloadditions with styrene we have found, that the stereoselectivity of the cycloaddition was influenced by the steric hindrance of both the N-and C-substituent of the nitrone, i.e. the selectivity increases as the nitrogen ...