Novel intermolecular carbon radical addition to a nitrone: asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino acids.

A nitrone was used as a synthetically useful radical acceptor in carbon-carbon bond-forming radical reactions; the intermolecular addition of alkyl radicals to chiral glyoxylic nitrone was studied; a high degree of stereocontrol in radical addition to glyoxylic nitrone was achieved to provide a new method for asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino acids.