The α-lithiation reaction of opticallyactive oxazolinyloxiranes has been investigated. The trapping reaction with D2O, MeI and acetone affording substituted oxazolinyloxiranes proved that the corresponding lithiated species are configurationally unstable. A stereoconvergency was observed in the case of lithiation–deuteration sequence of two oxazolinyloxiranes.
[reaction: see text] The stereoselective synthesis of novel alpha-epoxy-beta-amino acids is described by a route that combines the chemistry of oxazolinyloxiranyllithiums with that of nitrones. The intermediate trioxadiazadispiro[2.0.4.3]undecanes 4 have been isolated and converted by hydrolysis into epoxy-5-isoxazolidinones 5 which can be transformed into the alpha-epoxy-beta-amino acids 8 by N-O