One-step access to N-enoxyimides by gold-catalysed addition of N-hydroxyimides to terminal alkynes

N-Enoxyimides have become attractive substrates for novel catalytic transformations, yet their tedious multi-step synthesis hampers full exploitation of their synthetic potential. We report a gold(I)-catalyzed protocol to access N-enoxyimides from simple and widely available terminal alkynes and the corresponding N-hydroxyimides in a single step. The transformation proceeds with aryl-, alkenyl- and alkyl alkynes, facilitating further studies of this substrate class in C-H functionalizations and photocatalysis.