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An NHC-catalyzed asymmetric [10π+2π] cycloaddition employs indene-2-carbaldehyde as an all-carbon 10π precursor to forge chiral spirooxindole-γ-butyrolactones (up to 93% ee). This method bypasses nitrogen-based higherene substrates, operates via NHC-bound isobenzofulvene intermediates, and scales to 4 mmol with retained efficiency, offering a versatile route to complex spirocycles. More details are discussed in the article by Deng et al. on pages 1983—1987.