SELECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF 1,3-DISUBSTITUTED AND 1,3,5-TRISUBSTITUTED TETRAZOLIUM SALTS BY TERT-BUTYLATION OF TETRAZOLE, 1-MONOSUBSTITUTED AND 5-MONOSUBSTITUTED TETRAZOLES - ISOMERIZATION OF 1,3-DISUBSTITUTED SALTS TO 1,4-SALTS

Tetrazole and its 1- and 5-monosubstituted derivatives are found to re act with tert-butyl alcohol in 72% perchloric acid media, yielding sel ectively 1,3-di- and 1,3,5-trisubstituted tetrazolium salts. 1,3-Disub stituted salts are slowly converted under the same conditions into the corresponding 1,4-disubstituted salts. This transformation may be use d for selective synthesis of the latter.