Enantioselective aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction between acrylates and N-Boc isatin ketimines: asymmetric construction of chiral 3-substituted-3-aminooxindoles.

The first enantioselective aza-Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction of acrylates with ketimines derived from isatins has been developed. With 2 mol% of chiral bifunctional phosphine-squaramide 4e, optically active 3-substituted-3-amino-2-oxindoles were obtained in excellent yields with up to 91% ee.