N-Bis(benzotriazo1-1 -ylmethyl) hydroxylamine has been shown to be an effective synthon for the nitrone 1,3-dipole. Regio-and stereo-specific cycloaddition with several dipolarophiles to furnish substituted 2-(benrotriazol-I -ylmethyl) isoxazolidines is described. Subsequent replacement of the benzotriazole entity is reported, and reaction of the cycloadducts with perchloric acid is shown to yield isoxarolidines without nitrogen substitution. The synthesis of the novel tricyclic ring system 12-oxa-l,3-diazatricyclo[7.2.1 .O&*]dodec-5-ene is also reported. Benzotriazol-1 -ylmethylene( benzotriazol-I -ylmethyl)amine does not act as a synthon for the azomethine ylide.1,3-Dipolar cycloadditions are of the greatest importance for the synthesis of 5-membered heterocyclic compounds. '-' The reaction is versatile in regard to the range of heterocycles that may be prepared, generally high yielding, and both regio-and stereo-specific in the vast majority of reported cases. In accord with such desirable characteristics, 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions are finding increasing use in synthetic organic chemistry. New methods by which 1,3-dipoles may be generated, and demonstrating the successful cycloaddition of such species, is of great current interest. The present paper reports our preliminary findings in the use of bis(benzotriazo1-1-ylmethy1)amine and bis(benzotriazo1-1 -ylmethyl)hydroxylamine as sources of 1,3dipoles.The use of N-substituted benzotriazoles as synthetic intermediates in the preparation of many classes of organic compounds, such as amines, hydroxylamines,8-'0 and amides,' ' J has been reported previously. Generally such methods have relied on the ease with which benzotriazolate may be displaced by suitable nucleophiles. In particular, when the benzotriazolyl substituent is a to a heteroatom with an available lone pair of electrons (nitrogen or sometimes oxygen), solutions of such adducts frequently exist in equilibrium with their ionised counterparts (Scheme 1).l3*l4 Scheme 1.