An easy and practical approach to access multifunctional cylcopentadiene- and cyclopentene-spirooxindoles via [3 + 2] annulation.

A highly regioselective [3 + 2] annulation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates of isatin with aurone/thioaurone is developed. Spiroheterocycles such as spirooxindole cyclopentadiene and spirooxindole fused hydroxy cyclopentene derivatives are constructed in one pot by exploring the reactivity of Lewis bases. Combined experimental and density functional theory (DFT) calculations offered an insight into the reaction mechanism.

Access to highly enantioselective and diastereoselective spirooxindole dihydrofuran fused pyrazolones.

A tertiary amine catalyzed highly diastereoselective and enantioselective [3 + 2] annulation between Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates derived from isatin and pyrazolone 4,5-diones has been developed. A series of structurally diverse and multifunctional spirooxindole dihydrofuran fused pyrazolone derivatives with two adjacent quaternary spirocenters has been achieved in excellent yields with good to excellent enantioselectivity. Further synthetic utility of this protocol has been successfully demonstrated by employing the bromo derivative of spirooxindole dihydrofuran fused pyrazolone to Suzuki coupling.