Organocatalytic Asymmetric Friedel–Crafts Reaction of Sesamol with Isatins: Access to Biologically Relevant 3‐Aryl‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐oxindoles

The Friedel–Crafts reaction of electron‐rich phenols with isatins was developed by employing bifunctional thiourea–tertiary amine organocatalysts. Cinchona alkaloid derived thiourea epi CDT‐ 3 a efficiently catalyzed the Friedel–Crafts‐type addition of phenols to isatin derivatives to provide 3‐aryl‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐oxindoles 7 and 9 in good yield (80–95 %) with good enantiomeric excess (83–94 %). Friedel–Crafts adduct 7 t was subjected to a copper(I)‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition to obtain biologically important 3‐aryl‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐oxindole 11 in good enantiomeric excess and having a 1,2,3‐triazole moiety.