A molybdenum-catalyzed deoxygenationof pyridine N -oxides and N-hydroxybenzotriazoles,as well as other azole N-oxides, has been developedusing pinacol as an environmentally friendly oxo-acceptor. The only by-products are acetone andwater making the process a convenient alternativeto established protocols in terms of waste gener-ation. The reaction is highly chemose lective and avariety of functional groups are tolerated. Theprocesses are usually very clean allowing theisolation of the pure deoxygenated products after asimple extraction in most cases.
