A mixture of 3-(4-cyano-2-methoxybenzyl)-1-methyl-5-nitroindole (0.458 g.), sodium azide (0.741 g.), and triethylamine hydrochloride (0.785 g.) in dry N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (6 ml.), under nitrogen, was stirred and heated at 150° C. for 1.5 hours. The mixture was cooled to ambient temperature, 1N hydrochloric acid (25 ml.) added cautiously, while stirring, the precipitated solid isolated by filtration, washed with water and dried in vacuo to give 3-[2-methoxy-4-(1-H-tetrazol-5-yl)benzyl]-1-methyl-5nitroindole, (V) (0.484 g., 94%) as a yellow powder, m.p. 249°-250° C.: partial NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d6): 3.82 (s,3 H, NMe): 3.97 (s,3 H, OMe); 4.13 (s,2 H, ArCH2).
