Diastereoselective Diels-Alder cycloadditions with chiral 1-(alkylsulfinyl)-2-nitroalkenes

The chiral 1-(alkylsulfinyl)-2-nitroalkenes, whose preparation involved diastereoselective cycloadditions of trisubstituted dienophiles with cyclopentadiene in the presence of Lewis acids, was developed as dienophiles for assymetric Diels-Alder reactions. E-dienophiles revealed a lower diastereo- and endo/exo-selectivity than did the Z-sulfinyldienophiles.