Regio- and Stereoselective Cascades via Aldol Condensation and 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition for Construction of Functional Pyrrolizidine Derivatives.

An efficient and step-economical approach to access functionalized pyrrolizidine derivatives by a one-pot tandem sequence, including an aldol condensation and subsequent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition process, has been developed, starting from acetone, aldehyde, and proline. A number of substituted aromatic aldehydes were amenable to this transformation, and the desired products, racemic 7a-7w and chiral 9a-9m, were obtained with excellent regioselectivities and outstanding diastereoselectivities. Moreover, in situ NMR studies revealed MgSO4 could effectively promote the aldol condensation pathway in this tandem process.