A two-step synthesis of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles containing a siloxy or sulfonamide group

A simple two-step route to the synthesis of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles containing a β-siloxy or β-sulfonamide group is presented. The synthesis takes place via an isocyanide-based multicomponent reaction and allows incorporation of a wide variety of substitution patterns starting from commercially available reagents. This is followed by cyclization of the ketenimines with trimethylsilyl azide without using any catalyst or activation.