Diversity in Gold-Catalyzed Formal Cycloadditions of Ynamides with Azidoalkenes or 2H-Azirines: [3+2] versus [4+3] Cycloadditions

Gold‐catalyzed cycloadditions of ynamides with azidoalkenes or 2H‐azirines give [3+2] or [4+3] formal cycloadducts of three classes. Cycloadditions of ynamides with 2H‐azirine species afford pyrrole products with two regioselectivities when the Cβ‐substituted 2H‐azirine is replaced from an alkyl (or hydrogen) with an ester group. For ynamides substituted with an electron‐rich phenyl group, their reactions with azidoalkenes proceed through novel [4+3] cycloadditions to deliver 1H‐benzo[d]azepine products instead. Completing the ring: Gold‐catalyzed cycloadditions of ynamides with azidoalkenes or 2H‐azirines give three distinct classes of [3+2] or [4+3] cycloadducts, depending on the types of the initial ynamides and 2H‐azirines (see scheme; EWG=electron‐withdrawing group).