A combined experimental and theoretical study of the polar [3+2] cycloaddition of electrophilicity activated carbonyl ylides with aldehydes and imines

[3+2] Cycloaddition reactions between carbonyl ylides generated from epoxides and aldehydes or imines are studied and used for preparing 2,5-diaryl-1,3-dioxolane-4,4-dicarbonitriles and 2,4-diphenyl-1,3-oxazolidine-5,5-dicarbonitriles. The analysis of the reactivity indexes has shown that the largest electrophilic character of the carbonyl ylides have induced them to act as strong electrophiles in these polar [3+2] cycloaddition reactions.