^
Top
Org. Synth. 1946, 26, 11
DOI: 10.15227/orgsyn.026.0011
3-AMINO-1H-1,2,4-TRIAZOLE
[1H-1,2,4-Triazole, 3-amino-]
Submitted by Georg Sjostedt and Leopold Gringas.
Checked by E. C. Horning, H. Lloyd, and L. Matternas.
1. Procedure
To 136 g. (1 mole) of finely powdered aminoguanidine bicarbonate in a 500-ml. two-necked round-bottomed flask fitted with a thermometer is added 48 g. (40 ml., 1.05 moles) of 98–100% formic acid (Note 1). The foaming mixture is heated cautiously, with gentle rotation of the flask to avoid local overheating, until gas evolution ceases and the whole mass is dissolved. The solution of aminoguanidine formate is held at a temperature of 120° for 5 hours (Note 2). After the solution is cooled, 500 ml. of 95% ethanol is added, the product is dissolved by heating, and the solution is filtered while hot. The product, obtained by evaporating the ethanol solution to dryness on the steam bath, and oven-drying at 100°, is 80–81.6 g. (95–97%) of colorless crystalline 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole melting at 152–156° (Note 3). The 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole can be recrystallized from ethanol (Note 4).
2. Notes
1. The submitters report that aminoguanidine bicarbonate of practical grade is satisfactory. The checkers used Eastman Kodak white label quality.
2. The submitters and checkers used an infrared heater.
3. The main part of the ethanol can be removed by distillation. From the remaining ethanolic solution yellow crystals precipitate, which are collected on a Büchner funnel. When melted and dried they lose water and give 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole in its pure form.
4. The 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole may be crystallized from ethanol or ethanol-ether.1 The checkers preferred ethanol (200 ml. for 40 g.). The recovery is 70–73%, m.p. 152–153°.
3. Discussion
3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole has been prepared by evaporating formylguanidine nitrate with sodium carbonate,2 and from 5(3)-amino-1,2,4-triazolecarboxylic acid-3(5) by heating above its melting point,3,4,5 or by a long digestion with acetic acid.2 It has been prepared from the sulfate in essentially the same yield and purity.1

References and Notes
  1. Org. Syntheses, 26, 11 (1946).
  2. Thiele and Manchot, Ann., 303, 45, 54 (1898).
  3. Curtius and Lang, J. prakt. Chem., (2) 38, 554 (1888).
  4. Hantzsch and Silberrad, Ber., 33, 79 (1900).
  5. Curtius, Darapsky, and Müller, Ber., 40, 818, 830 (1907).

Appendix
Chemical Abstracts Nomenclature (Collective Index Number);
(Registry Number)

5(3)-amino-1,2,4-triazolecarboxylic acid-3(5)

ethanol (64-17-5)

acetic acid (64-19-7)

ether (60-29-7)

sodium carbonate (497-19-8)

formic acid (64-18-6)

Aminoguanidine bicarbonate (2582-30-1)

3-Amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole,
1H-1,2,4-Triazole, 3-amino-,
3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (61-82-5)

aminoguanidine formate

formylguanidine nitrate