Exploiting hydrazones to improve the efficiency of 6π-electrocyclization reactions of 1-azatrienes

The greater geometric lability of hydrazones compared to that of oxime ethers is used as a basis to overcome the reluctance of Z-oxime ether azatrienes to undergo electrocyclization toward the synthesis of borylated (heteroaromatic) pyridines and ring-fused analogues. Such hydrazones now allow access to previously inaccessible tri- and tetrasubstituted 3-borylpyridines in high yields.