Mg-Al Hydrotalcite (HT) has been found to catalyze the reaction between aldehydes and nitroalkanes very efficiently affording three nitroalkanols in a highly diastereoselective manner. The ratios of threolerythro isomers are determined from their respective C-13-NMR spectra. A mechanism based on the transition state model for the predominant formation of threo-isomers is also described. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.