The addition of organomagnesium compounds to the N-benzyl 2-thiazolyl
nitrone 1 in the presence of various chiral additives and Lewis acids
leads to hydroxylamines 2 in moderate to good enantiomeric excess (up
to 74%); the reductive dehydroxylation of these compounds affords enan
tioenriched alpha-amino 2-alkylthiazoles 3 in good yields (76-66%). (C
) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd