Indazoles are of considerable interest due to the broad variety of their biological activities. This overview summarizes structures of pharmacologically interesting indazoles published during the last decade, as well as syntheses, reactions, and functionalizations. Recent advances in the chemistry of N‐heterocyclic carbenes of indazole (indazol‐3‐ylidenes) and indazolium salts are also reported.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

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Deprotonated sydnones, which can be represented as anionic N-heterocyclic carbenes, were prepared as Li adducts and compared with deprotonated O-ethylsydnones (5-ethoxy-1,2,3-oxadiazol-4-ylidenes) which belong to the class of abnormal NHCs. The Pd complexes of the sydnone anions (X-ray analysis) as well as of the O-ethylsydnone carbenes proved to be efficient catalysts in aryl couplings of thiophenes.

In vivo expression of colored proteins without post-translational modification or chemical functionalization is highly desired for protein studies and cell biology. Cell-permeable tryptophan analogues, such as azatryptophans, have proved to be almost ideal isosteric substitutes for natural tryptophan in cellular proteins. Their unique spectral features, such as markedly red-shifted fluorescence, are transmitted into protein structures upon incorporation. Among the azaindoles under study (2-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-azaindole) 4-azaindole has exhibited the largest Stokes shift (approximately 130 nm) in steady-state fluorescence measurements. It is also highly biocompatible and as 4-azatryptophan it can be translated into target protein sequences. However, its quantum yield and fluorescence intensity are still significantly lower when compared with natural indole/tryptophan. Since azatryptophans are hydrophilic, their presence in the hydrophobic core of proteins could be harmful. In order to overcome these limitations we have performed nitrogen methylation of azaindoles and generated mono- and dimethylated azaindoles. Some of these methyl derivatives retain the pronounced red shift present in the parent 4-azaindole, but with much higher fluorescence intensity (reaching the level of indole/tryptophan). Therefore, the blue fluorescence of azaindole-containing proteins could be further enhanced by the use of methylated analogues. Further substitution of any azaindole ring with either endo- or exocyclic nitrogen will not yield a spectral fluorescence maximum shift beyond 450 nm under steady-state conditions in the physiological milieu. However, green fluorescence is a special feature of tautomeric species of azaindoles in various nonaqueous solvents. Thus, the design or evolution of the protein interior combined with the incorporation of these azaindoles might lead to the generation of specific chromophore microenvironments that facilitate tautomeric or protonated/deprotoned states associated with green fluorescence.

The alkaloid Nigellicine possesses the indazolium-3-carboxylate ring system as electronically relevant partial structure which represents a member of the class of pseudo-cross-conjugated mesomeric betaines. Indazolium-3-carboxylate, prepared starting from indazole-3-carboxylic acid by an esterification-methylation-saponification sequence, can be converted into the isoconjugated phenyl-and 4-(nitrophenyl)-amidates and the thiocarboxylate as additional examples of pseudo-cross-conjugated systems. In accordance with results of ab initio calculations decarboxylation of indazolium-3-car-

Pyrazolium-3-carboxylates were examined as relatives of the betainic alkaloid Nigellicine and as new examples of the sparsely populated class 16 of heterocyclic pseudo-cross-conjugated mesomeric betaines (PCCMB). The title compounds were prepared in a 4-step procedure starting from beta-diketo compounds 8 which were cyclized with substituted hydrazines. The resulting isomeric pyrazole esters 9 and 10 were separated and subsequently quaternized with dimethyl sulfate in the presence of nitrobenzene to pyrazolium esters 11 and 12. Saponification was best accomplished in diluted sulfuric acid, which resulted in the formation of the pseudo-cross-conjugated mesomeric betaines 13 and 14 in one step. Protonation to the corresponding carboxylic acids required the treatment of the betaines with tetrafluoroboric acid in dichloromethane. The effect of negative solvatochromism proves the charge separation in the ground state of the molecules. X-ray crystallographic analyses, semiempirical calculations, and ESI mass spectrometric measurements were performed to gain knowledge about the phenomenon of pseudo-cross-conjugation.

Thermal decarboxylation converts 1,2-dimethylindazolium-3-carboxylate into indazol-3-ylidene, which reacts in situ with ketones to form stable 1:1 adducts. When the reaction is conducted with aromatic aldehydes in alcohols, redox esterifications to benzoates are observed. Model reactions such as redox esterifications of aromatic aldehydes with sodium alcoholates in the presence of 1,2-dimethylindazolium salt and oxidations of sodium benzylates by 1,2-dimethylindazolium salt to aldehydes lend support to a Cannizzaro-type mechanism of this reaction.