Nitrene-transfer reactions have been a powerful synthetic method for direct incorporation of nitrogen atoms into organic molecules. Discovery of novel nitrene-transfer reactions has been dominantly supported by not only the improvement in transition-metal catalysts but also by the employment of novel precursors of nitrenoids. Since the pioneering works utilizing organic azides or iminoiodinanes as practical synthetic tools for nitrogen-containing compounds were reported, a new approach using various N-heterocycles containing strain energy or a weak bond has emerged. In this review, we briefly summarize the history of nitrene-transfer chemistry from the viewpoint of its precursors. In particular, the use of N-heterocycles such as 2H-azirines, 1,4,2-dioxazol-5-ones, 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ones, isoxazol-5(4H)-ones, and isoxazoles are comprehensively described, showing the recent remarkable progress in this chemistry.

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Recently, an increasing number of metal complex catalysts have been developed to achieve the activation or transformation of substrates based on cooperation between the metal atom and its ligands. In such “cooperative catalysis,” the ligand not only is bound to the metal, where it exerts steric and electronic effects, but also functionally varies its structure during the elementary processes of the catalytic reaction. In this review article, we focus on metal–ligand cooperation involving aromatization and dearomatization of the ligand, thus introducing the newest developments and examples of homogeneous catalytic reactions.

This paper describes the development of a palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative inter- and intramolecular condensation reaction of isoxazol-5(4 H)-ones with carbonyl compounds in the presence of PPh3 , giving various 2-azabuta-1,3-dienes or pyrroles in moderate to high yields.

A phosphine-free iridium-catalyzed reaction of isoxazol-5(4H)-ones (isoxazolones) has been developed, and affords 2H-azirines through decarboxylation and ring contraction. This method provides an efficient and environmentally benign protocol which could replace the conventional approaches used to synthesize 2H-azirines.