Recent Advances in Denitrogenative Reactions of Pyridotriazoles

Diazo compounds display versatile reactivity and therefore are widely used in organic synthesis. Diazo compounds bearing a 2-pyridyl or a related azine moiety on the diazo carbon exist in the form of fused 1,2,3-triazoles. In this short review, we summarize the recent advances in denitrogenative reactions of [1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridines ('pyridotriazoles') and related fused 1,2,3-triazoles. Over the past decade, there has been a surge of activity in this field, with novel denitrogenative reactions of pyridotriazoles induced by metal compounds, light, and Bronsted and Lewis acids having been devised. As a result, heterocyclic compounds and functionalized alpha-picolines as well as bio-active molecules have been synthesized. In the review, emphasis is also placed on the mechanisms of the new reactions.