The sequel to a carbocyclic nucleoside synthesis: a divergent access to both arenediazonium ions and aryl triflates

Depending on the amount of acid used, treating aryl–dialkyl triazenes of general structure 3 with triflic acid resulted in the formation of either the corresponding arenediazonium triflates 4 or aryl triflates 8 apparently by two different pathways, the latter conversion being favoured at high acid concentration.