Nitrile imines RCSi(CH3)3: Optimization of gas phase synthesis and assignment of their photoelectron spectra

The flash vacuum pyrolysis of 5-R-2-trimethylsilyl-tetrazoles to nitrile imines RCN⊕N⊝Si(CH3)3 with R = CH3, C6H5 has been optimized by real-time photoelectron spectroscopic gas analysis and the assignment of their ionization patterns confirms the proposed frontier orbital sequence, which allows a rationalization of their regioselectivity in 1,3-dipolar additions.