Copper(I) Oxide‐Mediated Cyclization of o‐Haloaryl N‐Tosylhydrazones: Efficient Synthesis of Indazoles

An efficient synthesis of indazoles from readily accessible E/Z mixtures of o‐haloaryl N‐tosylhydrazones has been developed. The thermo‐induced isomerization of N‐tosylhydrazones is discussed. A series of valuable indazole derivatives are prepared in good yields, and the method has been successfully applied to the synthesis of the bioactive compounds, lonidamine, AF‐2785, axitinib, YC‐1 and YD‐3.