efficient and catalyticasymmetric alkynylation of isatins has been developed using a bifunctional amidophosphine‐urea/AgBF4 complex as the catalyst. By a combination of metal catalysis and organocatalysis, excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee) and good yields are achieved. A wide range of both terminal alkynes and isatins are tolerated by this new catalyst system, providing access to structurally
isatins obviously is an efficient and economic method for the synthesis of 3-alkynyl-3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles. The new dimeric chiral quaternary ammoniums derived from a natural chiral alkaloid, quinine, can be used as cationic inducers of the enantioselectivity for the Ag(I)-catalyzed alkynylation of isatin derivatives undermildconditions. The desired chiral 3-alkynyl-3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles can be obtained