Mesoporous ZnS hollow spheres-catalyzed synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles

A simple and effective method has been developed for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles from sodium azide and different nitriles using mesoporous ZnS hollow spheres (MZHSs) as a catalyst. The heterogeneous catalyst MZHSs with high surface area and fine mesoporous structure was synthesized by the simple solvothermal method without using any surfactants. Compared with ZnS synthesized by precipitation method and commercial ZnO, MZHSs show excellent catalytic performance with over 85% yield for most nitriles, which also is easy to be separated from the reaction mixture and reused. The MZHSs catalyst is a good candidate to substitute metal salts or other heterogeneous catalyst and has potential values for industry application. The mesoporous ZnS hollow spheres with high surface area are synthesized by simple solvothermal method, which show excellent catalytic performance for synthesis of 5-substitrted 1H-tetrazoles from various nitriles and sodium azide. [Display omitted] •The mesoporous ZnS hollow spheres are synthesized by simple solvothermal method.•The catalyst has high surface area and fine mesoporous structure.•The catalyst show high catalytic activity for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles.•The heterogeneous catalyst is easy to be separated from the reaction mixture and reused.