Unlocking unprecedented reactivities through electricity-driven transformations of diazo compounds

Abstract

Diazo compounds, with their unique electronic structure and amphiphilic nature, serve as valuable substrates in organic synthesis through the generation of reactive intermediates such as carbenes and radicals. While their reactivity has traditionally been explored via transition-metal catalysis, recent developments in photochemical activation have provided more sustainable and selective alternatives. Beyond conventional ground- and excited-state pathways, electrochemical methodologies have emerged as powerful, metal-free tools for organic transformations, offering precise redox control and reduced environmental impact. However, despite their advantages, electrochemical approaches remain underexplored in the context of diazo chemistry. Recent studies have revealed the potential of electrochemical strategies to enable oxidative difunctionalizations, cycloadditions, cascade reactions, and skeletal-editing reactions under mild conditions. This review article highlights the advances in the electrochemical functionalization of diazo compounds and also discusses the synergistic integration of electrochemistry and photochemistry in enabling unconventional diazo transformations.