Synthesis, properties, and structure of tetrazoles: Certain achievements and prospects

The review generalizes and systematizes the results of research on the synthesis and properties of tetrazole derivatives obtained in the Belarusian State University within the last decade. The main attention is fixed on important directions in the tetrazole synthesis: the acid-catalyzed N-alkylation, the reactions of primary amines with triethyl orthoformate and sodium azide followed by the heterocyclization of imidoyl azides, and on the transformation of the obtained 1-aryltetrazoles into 1-aryl-5-aminotetrazoles. The results of quantum-chemical and X-ray investigations as well as aspects of the practical application of tetrazoles are reviewed.