A copper-catalyzed reaction of alpha-azidocarbonyl compounds under an oxygen atmosphere is reported where nitriles are formed via C-C bond cleavage of a transient iminyl copper intermediate. The transformation is carried out by a sequence of denitrogenative formation of iminyl copper species from alpha-azidocarbonyl compounds and their C-C bond cleavage, where molecular oxygen (1 atm) is a prerequisite to achieve the catalytic process and one of the oxygen atoms of O(2) was found to be incorporated into the beta-carbon fragment as a carboxylic acid.

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Alpha-azido carbonyl compounds bearing a 2-alkenylaryl moiety at the alpha-position are found to be promising precursors for synthesis of isoindole and isoquinoline derivatives via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides onto alkenes and 6pi-electrocyclization of N-H imine intermediates, respectively.

Fo(u)r U: A lipophilic cavitand with four dinucleoside (uridine) residues has been synthesized and characterized. NMR spectroscopy evidence suggests the self-assembly of a U-quadruplex by the uracil nucleobases in organic solution under ambient conditions.

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