Organocatalytic Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Fluorooxindoles to Quinone Methides.

Fluorooxindoles undergo asymmetric Michael addition to para -quinone methides under phase-transfer conditions with 10 mol% of a readily available cinchona alkaloid ammonium catalyst. This reaction affords sterically encumbered, multifunctional fluorinated organic compounds displaying two adjacent chirality centers with high yields, ee 's and dr 's.