Mass Spectra of C-Amino- and C-Azido-l,2,4-triazoles

A study of low resolution mass spectra of 1,2,4-triazoles shows that fragmentations of C-amino-l,2,4-triazole nuclei are analogous to the three fragmentation modes reported for pyrrole. The extent to which these fragmentations account for the peaks in the mass spectra depends on the substituents of the 1,2,4-triazoIes. Mass spectra of C-azido-l,2,4-triazoles cannot be interpreted by the three modes found for pyrrole. Without exception, their mass spectra contain a base peak which is shown, with the aid of deuterium labeling, to represent an ion formed by the loss of four nitrogen atoms plus the substituent on the endocyclic nitrogen atom.