2-azidoacrylic acid esters are converted into phosphazide intermediates upon treatment with Amphos, followed by nucleophile-driven Michael addition. This transformation proceeds with concurrent nitrogen–nitrogen bond cleavage, affording β-heteroatom-substituted diazo esters efficiently under mild conditions. Credit: Professor Suguru Yoshida from Tokyo University of Science, Japan. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.4448961 In the world of organic chemistry, nitrogen-containing organic compounds are ubiquitous, forming the backbone of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, and functional materials. To build these important molecules, chemists often rely on highly reactive intermediates that can be transformed into many different products. One such important class is diazoacetic acid ester derivatives, which are widely used to construct a diverse range of organonitrogen compounds.…