Mesoionic tetrazolium-5-aminides: Synthesis, molecular and crystal structures, UV–vis spectra, and DFT calculations

Tetrazolium-5-aminides have been prepared by the tert-butylation of 5-aminotetrazole and its N-methyl derivatives by the t-BuOH/HClO(4) system followed by the treatment of the tetrazolium salts by alkali. The mesoionic compounds have been found to show a higher reactivity of the exocyclic N atom in comparison with 5-aminotetrazoles. The compounds reacted with 1,2-dibromoethane and 5-(methylsulfonyl)-1-phenyl-1H-tetrazole with substitution of bromine and methylsulfonyl groups giving the corresponding tetrazolium salts or conjugate aminides. The obtained mesoionic tetrazoles have been characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, NMR, and UV–vis spectroscopy, TGA/DSC analysis and for 1,3-di-tert-butyltetrazolium-5-aminide, its N,N’-ethylene-bridged bis-derivative and (1,3-di-tert-butyl-1H-tetrazol-3-ium-5-yl)(1-phenyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)amide by single crystal X-ray analysis. The structural and spectral features of the tetrazolium-5-aminides are discussed by using quantum-chemical calculations.