The triazolyl analogue of the trityl cation

The formation of the tris(3-benzyl-triazol-5-yl)carbenium cation, a heterocyclic analogue of the trityl cation, from tris(3-benzyl-triazol-5-yl)methanol, itself generated by Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen reaction of benzyl azide with triethynylmethanol, in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride is evidenced through a selective SN1 reactivity with various O-, N-, S-, and C-nucleophiles, giving the corresponding triazolylmethane derivatives in moderate to high yields.