Advances in synthesis and chemistry of aziridines

Aziridines (azacyclopropanes) constitute the well-known class of heterocyclic compounds. The studies on synthesis and reactivity of aziridines have drawn tremendous interest of organic chemists. The main feature of interest in the chemistry of this molecule is the ring-strain associated with it. The synthetic endeavors to aziridines, once considered as challenging, have made significant advancements. A number of methods have been developed for synthesizing aziridines in enantiopure forms. The chemistry of aziridines focuses on ring-opening. Different types of nucleophiles react with aziridines leading to the cleavage of either C-C bond or one of the two C-N bonds leading to the formation of 1,2-difunctionalized compounds of interest as building blocks in organic synthesis. The opening of an aziridine ring followed by cycloaddition has opened up avenues for entry into diverse types of 4- to 11-membered heterocyclic compounds. The regioselectivity of the ring-opening is governed by steric and electronic factors on the ring. This chapter focuses on advancements in synthesis of aziridines and studies on their reactivity.