The direction of approach of dibenzyl phosphite on the one hand and of dipolarophiles on the other hand to the spironitrone 7 was examined. The nitrone 7 was prepared from the lactone 3. The nucleophilic addition of dibenzyl phosphite gave 8 as a single adduct (86%). Its structure was established by X-ray analysis. From the cycloaddition of methyl methacrylate, the products 9a, 9b, l l a , and l l b (83:2:7.5:7.5, 81 %) were isolated. The structure of the main adduct 9a was established by an X-ray analysis of a derivative of it, and the structures of the other adducts were deduced from their NMR spectra. The cycloaddition of 7 and methyl acrylate gave the adducts 10a, lob, 12a, 13a, 13b, and 14a (27:10:54:1:2:6,87%). The structures of these compounds were deduced from their NMR spectra. The results are discussed in relation to prior hypothesis.1. Introduction. -The nucleophilic addition of dialkyl phosphite anions to (2)-Calkyl-N-(2,3 : 5,6-di-0 -isopropylidene-cc -D-mannofuran0syl)nitrones 1 gives the (1 S ) -Nglycosyl-N-hydroxyaminophosphonates 2 with a diastereoselectivity of about 90 % [ 11 (Scheme I ) . A high diastereoselectivity had been predicted, based on the analogy between a LUMO-controlled 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of N-glycosyl-nitrones and the addition of nucleophiles to it [ 11.