“…13 This second reduction is enabled by the stability of cationic intermediate 13 (Scheme 1b). The intermediacy of cations such as 10 also enables reactions such as hydration of 1-azulenylalkynes, 14 formation of azuleno[2,1- b ]thiophenes, 15 formation of calix[ n ]azulenes, 16 pyrrole-mediated azulene decarbonylation, 17 and protection of thiols with azulene-based protecting groups. 18 If cations of type 10 possess R 1 and R 2 substituents which are sufficiently cation-stabilising, then they may be isolable as stable salts with non-nucleophilic anions.…”