[Formula: see text]-tert-butylmethanimine [Formula: see text]-oxide is a potent spin-trapping probe for biologically important radicals, and this nitrone undergoes complete regioselective cycloadditions to less electron-deficient monosubstituted olefins. In the present study, solvent effects on the cycloaddition of this nitrone to styrene have been theoretically studied in terms of the global properties of the reactants, electrophilic and nucleophilic Parr function analysis and the activation and reaction energies of located transition states and products. Formation energies of optimized radical adducts were computed to determine their stabilities in different solvents. The cycloaddition is predicted to be completely ortho regioselective which is in complete agreement with experiments and involved earlier C–C bond formation owing to the insufficient depopulation of [Formula: see text]-conjugated carbon atom in styrene and shows varying asymmetry indices in different solvents. Decrease in activation parameters and increase in stability of cycloadducts are predicted with decreasing solvent polarity. Aqueous media destabilize the radical adducts as predicted from the calculated formation energy, enthalpy and free energy of reaction. Hydroxyl as well as methyl radical adducts are predicted to be more stable than superoxide anion radical adducts. These predictions are in complete agreement with the experiments.