NH-1,2,3-triazoles from azidomethyl pivalate and carbamates:: Base-labile N-protecting groups

NH-1,2,3-triazoles have been prepared via the copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between terminal alkynes and three N-protected organic azides, azidomethyl pivalate, azidomethyl morpholine-4-carboxylate, and azidomethyl N,N-diethylcarbamate. These organic azides were easily prepared on 0.1-mol scale in one or two steps from inexpensive commercially available materials. The cleaving properties of N-substituents in the resulting 1,2,3-triazole products with aqueous sodium hydroxide vary from < 10 minutes at room temperature in the case of N-methyl pivalate, to 24 hours at room temperature in the case of N-methyl morpholine-4-carboxylate, to 24 hours at 85 degrees C in the case of N-methyl diethylcarbamate.