Where is tetrazole mainly used?

With its unique five-membered ring structure and nitrogen atom-enriched characteristics, tetrazole compounds have shown important application value in many fields.

In pharmaceutical research and development, tetrazole rings are widely present in various drug molecules as key pharmacodynamic groups. For example, the antihypertensive drug losartan achieves angiotensin receptor antagonism through the tetrazole structure, and the tetrazole thio group in cephalosporin antibiotics enhances antibacterial activity.

Some antiviral and anticancer drugs also use tetrazole groups to improve metabolic stability. As a bioisostere, it can effectively optimize the lipophilicity and solubility of drug molecules.

In the field of energetic materials, tetrazole derivatives are used as components of propellants or explosives by utilizing their high nitrogen content, such as the combustion regulation function of 5-aminotetrazole in gas generators. In metal-organic framework materials (MOFs), tetrazole ligands coordinate with metal ions to form porous structures, which are used in carbon dioxide capture or hydrogen storage systems.

In agricultural chemistry, the tetrazolium salt method detects seed vitality through staining reactions. The mitochondrial dehydrogenase of living cells catalyzes tetrazolium chloride to produce red formazan, which has become a classic method for seed quality assessment.

In the field of analytical chemistry, tetrazolium compounds are used as colorimetric reagents. For example, the MTT assay uses the property of tetrazolium salts to convert into formazan crystals to quantify cell activity. In industrial applications, tetrazolium derivatives are added to cooling water systems as corrosion inhibitors, and form a protective film on the metal surface through nitrogen atom adsorption.

In organic synthesis, the tetrazolium ring is both an efficient condensation agent and can construct a molecular skeleton through click chemistry reactions. In the field of optoelectronic materials, tetrazolium-based fluorescent probes have been developed for real-time monitoring of reactive oxygen species in organisms. Their rigid structure helps to improve the fluorescence quantum yield.