Alkylation of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole in aqueous alkaline medium in the presence of N-methylmorpholine N-oxide and verification of the structure of the reaction products.

[MediaObject not available: see fulltext.] It is shown that alkylation of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole with alkyl bromides may be carried out in an aqueous alkaline medium in the presence of N-methylmorpholine N-oxide. Alkylation of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole with dibromoethane and propargyl bromide occurs regioselectively with the formation of the substitution products at the N-1 atom of the heterocycle. Alkylation with allyl bromide under similar conditions proceeds with low selectivity leading to regioisomeric substitution products at both N-1 and N-2 atoms. Establishing the structures of the obtained regioisomers by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]