Abstract Several α-amino esters (and their hydrochloride salts) were treated with cyanogen azide at ambient temperature in a mixture of water and acetonitrile to form chiral 5- aminotetrazole derivatives in good yields (47–69%). The cyanogen azide was prepared from cyanogen bromide and sodium azide. Other functionalized α-amino esters (cysteine, arginine, histidine, and serine) were formed in only trace amounts and were difficult to ...
