TEMPO catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrazobenzenes to azobenzenes

A metal-free direct oxidative dehydrogenation approach for the synthesis of azobenzenes from hydrazobenzenes has been developed by using TEMPO as an organocatalyst for the first time. The reaction proceeded in open air under mild reaction conditions. A wide range of hydrazobenzenes readily undergo dehydrogenation to give the corresponding azobenzenes in excellent yields.