The reactivity of alfa-nitro ketones with trifluoromethyl aldimines is studied for the first time. While under nitro-Mannich conditions only the facial stereoselectivity can be controlled, organocatalysed Mannich-type reactions allowed a complete control of absolute and relative stereoselectivity, leading to highly functionalised β-amino alfa-nitro β-trifluoromethyl compounds as diastereomerically pure compounds. A key role on the geometrical and/or facial stereoselectivity is played by the structure of reactants
