Greener preparation and reactivity of diazo compounds: Moving from harmful chemistry to more environmentally benign methods

Abstract

There is an urgent need to mitigate environmental problems caused by uncontrolled human activities. The ever-increasing demand for more sustainable processes has stimulated the adoption of efficient synthetic strategies founded on the principles of green chemistry, which must be simple, safe, highly productive, and environmentally benign. Therefore, this Review showcases the most prominent achievements in the green preparation and synthetic applications of diazo compounds that were published in the last 15 years (from 2010 to middle 2025). The main approaches include the use of heterogeneous catalysis, biocatalysis, and catalyst-free protocols, the preference for water and other harmless solvents, and the search for simple and mild reaction conditions to furnish the target compounds with broad structural diversity and excellent functional group tolerance, as well as high yield and selectivity.