A novel N5-linear energetic moiety of pentazadiene has been constructed for the first time from a triazene precursor. Thus, a series of 1,3,5-tri(tetrazol-5-yl)pentaza-1,4-dienes have been synthesized in moderate to high yields by treatment of 1,3-bis(tetr-azol-5-yl)triazenes with 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDCI) under mild conditions. All compounds were fully characterized using IR spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, HRMS, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and, in the case of 1,3,5-tri(2-methyltetrazol-5-yl)pentaza-1,4-diene (2a) together with single crystal X-ray structuring and 15N NMR spectroscopy. Calculations predict that 2a has a heat of formation of 1699.2 kJ mol−1.
