Recent Advances on the Synthesis of Heterocycles from Diazo Compounds

Carbenoids are transient species whose reactivity resembles that of free carbenes. They can be generated by several procedures, for instance, by the interaction of diazo compounds with transition metals, such as copper, ruthenium and rhodium complexes. They are able to react with various unreactive substrates, and their use has become very popular among synthetic organic chemists. The carbenoid transfer reactions are a powerful set of synthetic tools that have attracted attention due to their versatility in constructing several types of bonds and, thus, are used to create a complex skeleton framework. Several catalysts have been designed and employed to promote the decomposition of diazo compounds, making these reactions very useful in organic synthesis. This review intends to illustrate the research efforts that occurred in this field during the last four years, covering novel, biologically important compounds and methodologies involving carbenoid and non-carbenoid reactions from diazo compounds.