Synthetic and biosynthetic routes to nitrogen–nitrogen bonds

Abstract

The nitrogen–nitrogen bond is a core feature of diverse functional groups like hydrazines, nitrosamines, diazos, and pyrazoles. Such functional groups are found in >300 known natural products. Such N–N bond-containing functional groups are also found in significant percentage of clinical drugs. Therefore, there is wide interest in synthetic and enzymatic methods to form nitrogen–nitrogen bonds. In this review, we summarize synthetic and biosynthetic approaches to diverse nitrogen–nitrogen-bond-containing functional groups, with a focus on biosynthetic pathways and enzymes.