Sensitivities of some imidazole-1-sulfonyl azide salts

Imidazole-1-sulfonyl azide hydrochloride, an inexpensive and effective diazotransfer reagent, was recently found to be impact sensitive. To identify safer-to-handle forms of this reagent, several different salts of imidazole-1-sulfonyl azide were prepared, and their sensitivity to heat, impact, friction, and electrostatic discharge was quantitatively determined. A number of these salts exhibited improved properties and can be considered safer than the aforementioned hydrochloride. The solid-state structures of the chloride and less sensitive hydrogen sulfate were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction in an effort to provide some insight into the different properties of the materials.