• Diazo compounds are often prone to loss of nitrogen, because the triple bond is so strong. Formation of this bond is the driving force for many nitrogen functional group reactions, for example the Balz-Schiemann reaction, the Semi-Pinacol reaction, the Tiffeneau-Demjanov reaction and the Wolff-Kischner reaction.
• This reaction makes use of the classic diazo-formation reagents, sulphuric acid and nitrous acid mixture.
• The final stage of the reaction proceeds via. radicals, but has been shown as it is for simplicity.
  
  
  References:
• Lavastre O.; Cabioch S.; Dixneuf P.H.; Vohlidal J.; Tetrahedron, Volume 53, Issue 22, 7595-7604
• Coleman R.S.; Guernon J.M.; Roland J.T.; Organic Letters, 2000, Volume 2, Issue 3, 277-280