Tetrazoles photochemical decomposition

Tetrazoles exhibit qualities of acids, bases, acceptors of hydrogen bonds (cf. Section 6.07.4.5), and polydentate ligands (cf. Section 6.07.5.3.4). NH-LJnsubstituted tetrazoles behave both as substrates and intermediates in transacylation processes (cf. Section 6.07.5.4), etc. Tetrazolate anions (tetrazolides) possess high aromaticity and reactivity toward electrophilic reagents (cf. Sections 6.07.4.1 and 6.07.5.3.2). The thermal and photochemical decomposition of tetrazoles involves formation of nitrenes and other intermediates of high reactivity (cf. Sections 6.07.5.2 and 6.07.5.7) These properties provide a possibility of use tetrazoles as catalysts in chemical and biochemical reactions. 

Tetrazole is insensitive (or much less sensitive than azide) to light, so more prolonged irradiation or conversion to azide form by heating or aeidifying is demanded for photochemical decomposition of tetrazole form. 

---