The reactions of β-naphthol with 5-diazoimidazoles and imidazolyl-5-diazonium salts containing chemically different carboxamide groups in position 4 were studied. Heterocyclization of 4-arylcarbamoyl-5-(2- hydroxynaphthylazo)imidazoles formed in these reactions was investigated. The presence of the NH fragment in the amide group prevents this process, the reaction giving instead 3-substituted 3,7-dihydroimidazo[4,5-d][1,2,3]triazin-4- ones, which is due to reversibility of C-azo coupling. Methods for modification of 1-ethoxycarbonyl group in the naphtho[2,1-e]imidazo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazine system were developed and used to prepare substituted carboxamides inaccessible by other routes. © Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006.