Tetrazole tautomers, reactions

Although in most cyclization reactions the 5(4//)-oxazolones react as 1,3-dipolar reactants (azo-methine ylides) through the mesoionic tautomers, they serve as dipolarophiles with nitrile imines <92H(34)315>. The nitrile imines, generated by the thermal decomposition of tetrazoles (82), add across the 2,3 double bond to generate triazoles (83) after further reaction (Scheme 26). Since the 5(4//)-oxazolones with a hydrogen at position 4 are in equilibrium with the 5(2//)-oxazolones under the reaction conditions, the addition of the nitrile imine also occurs across the 3,4-double bond of these compounds to afford an isomeric triazole (84). Pyrazines (85), which are products of the thermal decomposition of 5(4 0 Oxazolones <76HCA2149>, as well as diarylethylenes (86), are also formed. 

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