This is the first systematic review on the synthesis and reactions of heterocyclic azides with acetylene and acetonitrile derivatives, alkenes, enamines and dicarbonyl compounds. Examples are given for the application of these reactions to the synthesis of mono-, bi- and tricyclic compounds and ensembles of various heterocycles, e.g., azines and azoles (including 1,2,3-triazole derivatives and nonaromatic 1,2,3-triazolines), amidines and diazo compounds. Methods for the synthesis of supramolecular structures, coordination compounds, ligands, bioconjugates and biologically active compounds based on reactions with heterocyclic azides are considered. The review describes the use of these transformations in biological chemistry to study processes in living systems, as well as in materials chemistry for the production of luminophores and sensors for metals. Original studies published mainly over the past 15 years are discussed. The bibliography includes 222 references.

Herein we report an investigation on the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 5-azido-4-nitroimidazoles to β-azolylenamines and the subsequent transformations of the intermediate 1,2,3-triazolines. 5-Azido-1-methyl-4-nitroimidazoles were combined with β-azolylenamines to form novel imidazoles linearly connected via a 1,2,3-triazole to 1,2,3-thiadiazole and isoxazole rings. On the other hand, in the reaction of β-(imidazol-4-yl)enamine with 1-methyl-4-nitro-5-azidoimidazole, the N,N-dimethyl-N′-(1-methyl-4-nitro-1H-imidazol-5-yl)formimidamide was isolated as a single product. A third type of product, active methylenes containing N-imidazol-5-yl-amidines were obtained in a similar reaction of β-phenylenamine. The factors which govern the outcome of the reactions of these heterocyclic enamines with highly electrophilic imidazolylazides were carefully studied on the basis of DFT calculations with a mPW1K density functional. The formation of various products in the reaction of imidazolyl azides with enamines was rationalized by different transformation pathways of a common 1,2,3-triazoline intermediate. According to the calculations, the two transformation paths, that are different from the path leading to aromatic 1,2,3-triazoles, occur by a stepwise mechanism involving a diazo compound formed by ring-opening of the intermediate 1,2,3-triazolines. Based on literature analysis and theoretical investigations, it is proposed that elimination of an amine from the intermediate 1,2,3-triazolines leading to 1,2,3-triazoles is a base-catalyzed process which takes place via an E1cb mechanism.

New fluorescent dyes containing an assembled 1,4-dihydroazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazine (DAT) core and an isoxazole ring were synthesized through a reaction between diazopyrazole or diazoimidazoles and isoxazolyl-derived enamines in mild conditions. The photophysical characteristics (maxima absorption and emission, Stokes shifts, fluorescent quantum yields, and fluorescence lifetimes) of the new fluorophores were obtained. The prepared DATs demonstrated emission maxima ranging within 433–487 nm, quantum yields within 6.1–33.3%, and a large Stokes shift. The photophysical characteristics of representative DAT examples were studied in ten different solvents. Specific (hydrogen bonds) and non-specific (dipole–dipole) intermolecular and intramolecular interactions were analyzed using XRD data and spectral experiments. Solvatochromism was analyzed using Lippert–Mataga and Dimroth–Reichardt plots, revealing the relationship between the DAT structure and the nature of solute–solvent interactions. The significant advantages of DATs are the fluorescence of their powders (QY up to 98.7%). DAT-NMe₂ 10 expressed bright aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behavior in DMSO and THF as the water content increased. The numerous possible variations of the structures of the heterocycles included in the DATs, as well as substituents, create excellent prospects for adjusting their photophysical and physicochemical properties.

Here, we report that the reaction of enaminones, from a class of azole series, with sulfonyl azides leads to a difficult-to-separate mixture of two pairs of compounds: (1) 4-azoloyl-NH-1,2,3-triazoles with sulfonamides and (2) azolyl diazoketones with N-sulfonamidines, as a result of the implementation of two competing reactions. On one hand, the electron-donating methyl or methoxy group in the aryl para-position of arylsulfonyl azides favors the production of NH-1,2,3-triazoles together with sulfonamides. On the other hand, the use of highly electrophilic 4-nitrophenylsulfonyl azide promotes the formation of diazoketones and sulfonamidines. It is shown that the direction of each reaction is not only controlled by the nature of the initial enaminones and sulfonyl azides but also depends on the tested solvent. The problem of removing sulfonamides and amidines from the desired products was solved for the first time using new water-soluble enaminones. Based on the experimental and computational studies, the factors contributing to the selective course of alternative reactions were identified, and methods for the synthesis of azoloyl-NH-1,2,3-triazoles and azolyl diazoketones were developed. Density functional theory (DFT) results have shown that the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is totally driven toward one single regioisomer with a high asynchronous bond formation, and the introduction of an electron-deficient group in sulfonyl azides induces faster cycloaddition. Additionally, DFT calculations were used to gain further mechanistic insights on the reaction studied here.

An efficient PASE approach to 1,4-dihydroazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines was developed and new details of the mechanism found. Spectral investigations revealed the dual fluorescence of these compounds both in a diluted solution and in a solid state.