Organocatalytic Asymmetric Assembly Reactions: Synthesis of Spirooxindoles via Organocascade Strategies

Spirooxindoles have become a privileged skeleton given their broad and promising activities in various therapeutic areas. The strategies and catalyst systems described here highlight recent advances in the enantioselective synthesis of spirooxindoles via organocascade strategies. Various organocatalysts with distinct activation modes have found application in constructing these sophisticated compounds. This review focuses on the enantioselective synthesis of spirooxindoles via organocascade strategies and is organized on the basis of three primary starting materials and then further subdivided according to the types of organocatalyst. These methods are of importance for the synthesis of complex natural products and the design of new pharmaceutical compounds. We believe that compounds based on spirooxindole skeletons have the potential to provide novel therapeutic agents and useful biological tools.