Copper (I) Catalyzed N-Arylation of Azoles, the Recent Developments

N-arylated azoles have broad applications either alone or as intermediates in the synthesis of natural products, drugs, polymers, agrochemicals, among other items. Recently, instead of the less universal “classic” methods of arylation, a series of approaches based on the use of a complex of transition metals - derivatives of palladium and copper - was suggested. This mini-review looks into one of the most promising trends in this group of methods, arylation with the use copper(I)-based catalysts. The emphasis is made on a detailed consideration of each arylation method, in order to give the reader a possibility to compare the effectiveness and the limitations of one method or another, evaluate the conditions of conducting a reaction and the availability of reactants. In each subsection, results are presented in chronological order to demonstrate sequential progress in this area.