A highly diastereo- and enantioselective domino Michael/Henry reaction of 1-acetylindolin-3-ones with o-formyl-(E)-β-nitrostyrenes catalyzed by low loading of a quinine-derived amine-squaramide provides the corresponding indolin-3-one derivatives bearing four adjacent stereogenic centers in good to high yields and with excellent stereoselectivities.
Keywords: domino reaction; indolin-3-one; organocatalysis; oxindole; squaramide.