Unveiling Orthogonal Reactivity of Substituted 2-(2-Azidostyryl)furans: Thermolysis and Photolysis versus Catalysis

J Org Chem. 2024 Apr 19;89(8):5778-5782. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c00355. Epub 2024 Apr 6.

Abstract

A systematic investigation of the decomposition of substituted 2-(2-azidostyryl)furans has been reported. The products of catalytic decomposition align with predictable patterns, consistent with established literature data. In contrast, photolysis and thermolysis lead to the formation of unexpected products. In this case, generated nitrenes surprisingly exhibited an affinity for the furan core, deviating from the anticipated attack on the olefin moiety.