Aminooxygenation of Ynamides with Hydroxybenzotriazoles: Synthesis of α-Benzotriazolyl Carbonyl Compounds.

Addition of hydroxybenzotriazoles to ynamides causes spontaneous rearrangement, resulting in α-benzotriazolyl imides. The transformation proceeded at rt in the absence of any catalyst but could be efficiently catalyzed by Zn(OTf). Crossover experiments confirmed that the rearrangement is an intramolecular process, most likely via a concerted mechanism.