Synthesis of 3-(phenylazo)-1,2,4-triazoles by a nucleophilic reaction of primary amines with 5-chloro-2,3-diphenyltetrazolium salt via mesoionic 2,3-diphenyltetrazolium-5-aminides.

The reactions of a 5-chloro-2,3-diphenyltetrazolium salt with amines have been examined. In the presence of an inorganic base such as NaHCO(3), primary and secondary amines undergo a nucleophilic substitution to give the corresponding 5-aminotetrazolium salts. When triethylamine is used as a base, primary amines give 3-phenylazo-1,2,4-triazoles. A plausible dual-path mechanism is proposed for the formation of the triazoles via Type B mesoionic tetrazolium-5-aminides.

Reaction cascades initiated by nucleophilic attack of heteropentalene mesomeric betaine and nitrogen-rich mesoionic tetrazolium-5-amides on electron-deficient unsaturated compounds. Synthesis of novel heterocyclic systems.

The reactions of heteropentalene mesomeric betaine 1 and nitrogen-rich mesoionic tetrazolium-5-amides 4, 11 and 16-18 with electron-deficient unsaturated compounds have been studied. Novel heterocyclic systems, tetrazolo[4,5-a][1,7]benzodiazonine inner salt 2 and 3-oxo-3,7-dihydro-2H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine 5, have been synthesized by the reactions of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate with 1 and tetrazolium-5-anilide 4, respectively, and fully characterized by X-ray crystallography. It has been found that the reactions of other tetrazolium-5-amides are also initiated by the nucleophilic addition of the electron-rich amide nitrogen to the electron-deficient unsaturated compounds.