Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The long-sought pentazolate anion, cyclo-N5−, the isoelectronic polynitrogen counterpart of the cyclopentadienide anion, has been experimentally detected for the first time. Using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and carefully selected collision voltages, the aryl substituent in the para-pentazolylphenolate anion can be removed selectively without breaking the nitrogen–nitrogen bonds of the pentazolate anion (see scheme), thus delineating a synthetic method for the bulk synthesis of N5−.
Vij et al. (2002) studied this question.