Catalytic Asymmetric Halogenation/Semipinacol Rearrangement of 3‐Hydroxyl‐3‐vinyl Oxindoles: A Stereodivergent Kinetic Resolution Process

A highly enantioselective halogenation/semipinacol rearrangement of isatin-derived allylic alcohols has been developed with a chiral N,N'-dioxide/ScIII complex as catalyst. This strategy involved a pivotal stereodivergent kinetic resolution process and provided a facile and efficient entry to optically active halo-substituted quinolone derivatives and quinoline alkaloids with a quaternary stereocenter simultaneously under mild reaction conditions. Based on the control experiments together with kinetic studies and DFT calculations, a possible catalytic cycle was proposed to illustrate the reaction process and enantiocontrol.