LAUSR

4-Pyrones bearing electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups react with nonstabilized azomethine ylides to form pyrano[2,3-c]pyrrolidines in moderate to good yields. The reaction proceeds chemoselectively as a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the azomethine ylide at the carbon–carbon double bond of the pyrone activated by the electron-withdrawing substituent. The reactivity of 4-pyrones toward azomethine ylides was rationalized by computational studies with the use of reactivity indexes. The pyrano[2,3-c]pyrrolidine moiety could be modified, for example by a ring-opening transformation under the action of hydrazine to provide pyrazolyl-substituted pyrrolidines.