ACCOUNT 21 Application of Organic Azides for the Synthesis of Nitrogen-Containing Molecules Shunsuke Chiba* Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore Fax +6567911961; E-mail:
[email protected] Received 31 May 2012 Organic azides possess diverse chemical reactivities.4 Abstract: In this account, recent advances made on the reactions of several types of organic azides, such as vinyl azides, cyclic 2-azido Owing to their 1,3-dipole character, they undergo [3+2] alcohols, a-azido carbonyl compounds, towards the synthesis of cycloaddition with unsaturated bonds, such as those in nitrogen-containing molecules are described. alkynes and alkenes as well as carbonitriles (Scheme 1, part a).5 Organic azides can also be regarded as nitrene 1 Introduction equivalents (Scheme 1, part b).6 Accordingly, their reac- 2 Chemistry of Vinyl Azides tions with nucleophilic anions, electrophilic cations, and 2.1 Thermal [3+2]-Annulation of Vinyl Azides with 1,3-Dicar- radicals can formally provide the corresponding nitrogen bonyl Compounds 2.2 Manganese(III)-Catalyzed Formal [3+2]-Annulation with anions, cations, and radicals, respectively, forming a new 1,3-Dicarbonyl Compounds bond with the internal azido nitrogen and releasing molec- 2.3 Manganese(III)-Mediated/Catalyzed Formal [3+3]-Annu- ular nitrogen. Moreover, the generation of anions, cations, lation with Cyclopropanols and radicals at the a-position to the azido moiety can re- 2.4 Synthesis of Isoquinolines from a-Aryl-Substituted Vinyl sult in rapid denitrogenation to deliver the corresponding Azides and Internal Alkynes by Rhodium–Copper Bimetal- iminyl species, which can be used in further synthetic lic Cooperation transformations (i.e., carbon–nitrogen bond formation).