N-Alkylation of 4-nitro-1,2,3-triazole revisited. Detection and characterization of the N3-ethylation product, 1-ethyl-5-nitro-1,2,3-triazole

The products of the alkylation of sodium 4-nitro-1,2,3-triazolate with ethyl bromide were investigated using 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR spectroscopy. It was found that alkylation proceeds on the triazole nitrogen atoms giving a mixture of three isomeric N-ethyl-4-nitro-1,2,3-triazoles. The molar ratio of N1, N2, and N3-alkylation products was 4:8:1. The formation of a minor N3-isomer, namely 1-ethyl-5-nitro-1,2,3-triazole was confirmed by X-ray structural analysis of single crystals of its tetranuclear copper(II) complex obtained by reaction of copper(II) chloride dihydrate with a mixture of the N2 and N3-isomers.