Ruthenium-Catalyzed C-C Bond Cleavage of 2H-Azirines: A Formal [3+2+2] Cycloaddition to Fused Azepine Skeletons.

2H-azirines can serve as three-atom synthons by C-C bond cleavage, however, it involves a high energy barrier under thermal conditions (> 50.0 kcalmol (1)). Reported is a ruthenium-catalyzed [3+2+2] cycloaddition reaction of 2H-azirines with diynes, thus leading to the formation of fused azepine skeletons. This approach features an unprecedented metal-catalyzed C-C bond cleavage of 2H-azirines at room temperature, and the challenging construction of aza-seven-membered rings from diynes. The results of this study provide a new reaction pattern for constructing nitrogen-containing seven-membered rings and may find applications in the synthesis of other complex heterocycles.