The direct formation of the titanium enolate of N-3-propionyl-3,4,5.6-tetrahydro-2H-1,3,4-oxadiazin-2-one has been achieved through complexation with titanium tetrachloride at 25degreesC, followed by deprotonation with triethylamine (-78 to 25degreesC). The preformed titanium enolate has been reacted with D2O/DCl to afford deuterated derivative 6 and also reacted with a series of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes affording aldol adducts 4a-f with crude diastereoselectivities ranging from 8: 1 to 38:1. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.