Power of P: Phosphine‐promoted [3+2] annulation reactions between electron‐poor allenes and 3‐arylidene indolin‐2‐ones afford a new organocatalytic strategy for the synthesis of the spirocyclic core of oxindolic cyclopentanes (see scheme). Asymmetric variants of these reactions have been implemented by using chiral catalysts, giving very high levels of asymmetric induction.

The use of binaphthophosphepine 1a as a catalyst for the [3+2] cyclisation between allenoates or 2-butynoates and imines was investigated. The effects of the imine protecting group on both the catalytic activity and enantioselectivity were determined by comparing the behaviour of N-tosyland N-DPP-imines. The N-DPP-imines displayed lower reac-

The planar chiral 2-phospha[3]ferrocenophane I has been shown to be the first efficient nucleophilic organocatalyst for the enantioselective synthesis of cyclopentenylphosphonates, through [3+2] cyclizations between diethyl allenylphosphonate and alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones. The same catalyst has also been applied to the highly enantioselective [3+2] cyclizations of allenic esters with dibenzylideneacetone and analogous bis-enones, leading to functionalised cyclopentenes with either monocyclic or spirocyclic structures (ee 84-95 %). It has been shown that the residual enone functions in the resulting cyclopentenes can be involved in subsequent cyclization steps to afford unprecedented C(2)-symmetric bis-cyclopentenylketones. In order to provide insight into the behaviour of FerroPHANE I as a chiral catalyst in [3+2] cyclisations, the energetically most favoured isomers of the key phosphine-allene adduct have been calculated by DFT methods. Factors likely to control the chiral induction process are highlighted.