1.3- Azoles typical reactivity

The reactivity of these compounds is somewhat similar to that of the azolonium ions, particularly when the cationic species is involved. However, although the typical reaction is with nucleophiles, the intermediate (20) can lose the iV-oxide group to give the simple a-substituted azole (21). Benzimidazole 3-oxides are readily converted into 2-chloroben-... 

The stability of azole carbenes can be attributed to electronic factors which operate in both the Tran d CT-frameworks (92JA5530). In the TT-framework, electron donation into the carbene out-of-plane p-orbital by the electron-rich system moderates the typical electrophilic reactivity of carbenes. In the o-framework, additional stability for the carbene electron pair may be gained from the o-electron-withdrawal effects on the carbene center by the more electronegative nitrogens, which moderates the carbene nucleophilic reactivity. The combination of these a- and TT-effects serves to increase the singlet-triplet gap and stabilize the singlet carbene over the more reactive triplet state. For carbenes with bulky substituents (tert-butyl, 1-adamantyl, etc.) steric effects provide additional stabilization. 

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