5- Aminotetrazoles, with nitric acid

Formation of the partially saturated nitro derivatives 60 and 61 was reported by a Russian team <1994KGS1129>. The two products were obtained under fairly complicated reaction conditions when aminotetrazole 42 was first treated with potassium amidosulfonate and formaldehyde at pH = 4 followed by addition of nitric acid, methylamine, and acetic anhydride, product 60 was obtained in 24% yield. The same reaction, however, carried out at pH = 6 gave rise to formation of the acetoxy compound 61 in 21% yield. 

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