3-Aryl-3-fluorooxindoles can be efficiently synthesized in two steps by the addition of an aryl Grignard to an isatin, followed by treatment with DAST. Oxindole 1 (BMS-204352; MaxiPost™) can be isolated using chiral HPLC or prepared by employing chiral resolution. Cloned maxi-K channels are opened by 1, which demonstrates a brain/plasma ratio> 9 in rats.