One of the most common reactions of diazo compounds with alkenes is cyclopropanation, which occurs through metal carbene or free carbene intermediates. Alternative functionalization of alkenes with diazo compounds is limited, and a methodology for the addition of the elements of Z-CHR2 (with Z = H or heteroatom, and CHR2 originates from N2CR2) across a carbon–carbon double bond has not been reported. Here we report a novel reaction of diazo compounds utilizing a radical-mediated addition strategy to achieve difunctionalization of diverse alkenes. Diazo compounds are transformed to carbon radicals with a photocatalyst or an iron catalyst through PCET processes. The carbon radical selectively adds to diverse alkenes, delivering new carbon radical species, and then forms products through hydroalkylation by thiol-assisted hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), or forms azidoalkylation products through an iron catalytic cycle. These two processes are highly complementary, proceed under mild reaction conditions, and show high functional group tolerance. Furthermore, both transformations are successfully performed on a gram-scale, and diverse γ-amino esters, γ-amino alcohols, and complex spirolactams are easily prepared with commercially available reagents. Mechanistic studies reveal the plausible pathways that link the two processes and explain the unique advantages of each.

Reactions with the unstable and highly reactive zwitterionic intermediates generated in processes catalysed by transition metals are providing new opportunities for molecular constructions. Insertion reactions involve the collapse of zwitterionic intermediates, but trapping them would allow structural elaborations that are not currently available. To synthesize complex molecules in this manner, reactive electrophiles can be used to trap the zwitterionic intermediates. Here, we describe the use of imines, activated by chiral organocatalysts, and a highly efficient integrated rhodium and chiral Brønsted acid co-catalysed process to trap zwitterionic intermediates that have been proposed previously to undergo a formal C-H insertion reaction, allowing us to obtain polyfunctionalized indole and oxindole derivatives in a single step with excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity.

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Based on the strategy of polarity reversal in the generation of free radicals derived from diazo compounds, photocatalyzed multicomponent reactions (MCRs) of nitrogen aromatic heterocycles, alkenes, and diazo compounds form functionalized derivatives in good to high yields and exacting regioselectivities. The carbon radicals generated from the acceptor diazo compounds are electrophilic, and their selective additions with alkenes provide nucleophilic radicals, which enable the further rapid assembly with various heteroarenes. A delicate balance has been achieved between the activation of heteroarenes through protonation and the decomposition of diazo compounds by the same acid. This multicomponent Minisci reaction shows high functional group tolerance, especially in the incorporation of biologically active molecules. Detailed mechanistic studies that include photophysical measurements elaborate this radical cascade reaction. Furthermore, this transformation provides new opportunities for versatile reactions of diazo compounds in radical cascade multicomponent coupling reactions.

The first experimental examples of Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of diazo compounds as heterodienophiles with dienes have been studied with density functional theory (DFT) using the M06-2X functional. For comparison, the reactivities of diazo esters as dienophiles or 1,3-dipoles with 1,3-dienes in intermolecular model systems have been analyzed by the distortion/interaction model. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is strongly favored for the intermolecular system. The intramolecular example is unique because the tether strongly favors the (4 + 2) cycloaddition.