Organocatalytic Asymmetric Cascade Aerobic Oxidation and Semipinacol Rearrangement Reaction: A Visible Light-Induced Approach to Access Chiral 2,2-Disubstituted Indolin-3-ones.

An enantioselective cascade aerobic oxidation and semipinacol rearrangement reaction of 2-aryl-3-alkyl-substituted indoles via visible-light-driven cooperative organophotoredox and H-bonding catalysis is reported. The current method provides an expedient and sustainable approach to furnish a variety of valuable chiral 2-aryl-2-alkyl-substituted indolin-3-ones in 64-90 % yield with 58-94 % ee. Preliminary control experiments present important insights into the stereochemistry.