Diazo Compounds Under Visible Light: Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclic Architectures

Diazo compounds are versatile and valuable reagents in organic synthesis. The reaction of diazo substrates under photochemical conditions find high selectivity compared to that under thermal conditions. In the presence of light, they can act as carbene precursors or radical sources depending upon the reaction conditions and catalysts used. Recent years have witnessed a great advancement in visible‐light‐induced photochemistry of diazo compounds for asymmetric access to various cyclic compounds. In this review, recent advances (2020–2024) in stereoselective synthesis of cyclic scaffolds via visible‐light irradiation of diazo compounds are summarized. This review is organized according to the ring size of the synthesized compounds, viz., three, four, five, six, seven, and higher‐ membered ring systems. With an emphasis of mechanistic insights and scope of the reactions, this review shades light on current trends in this emerging field.