Efforts to prepare ethyl 3-phenyl-4-(trifluoromethyl) isoxazole-5-carboxylate (1) by developing a regioselective 1, 3-dipolar cycloaddition between phenyl nitrile oxide and various 4, 4, 4-trifluoromethyl crotonates are described. The substitution at the C2-position of crotonate dipolarophile 4 significantly influenced the regiochemistry and yield of the cycloaddition. Enol and enol ether-based crotonates underwent regioselective ...