A highly regioselective synthesis of 1‐n‐methyl‐spiro‐[2,3′“]‐oxindole‐spiro‐[3,2”]indane‐1“, 3”‐dione‐4‐arylpyrrolidines through 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition protocol

2‐Arylidene‐1,3‐indanediones undergo a regioselective 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction with the azomethine ylide derived from isatin and sarcosine by decarboxylative route affording a series of 1‐N‐methyl — spiro[2.3′“]oxindole‐spiro[3.2”]indane‐1“,3”‐diones‐4‐aryl pyrrolidines. The structures were established by spectroscopic techniques as well as single crystal X‐ray analysis. Density functional theory at B3L YP/6‐31G^* and the semi empirical AM₁ calculations were employed to rationalize the observed results. The experimental regioselectivity of 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions could be corroborated nicely with the computed Fukui frontier orbital energies and reaction energies.