Reactivity of 7-(2-dimethylaminovinyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines: Synthesis of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[3,4-e]pyrimidine derivatives as potential benzodiazepine receptor ligands. 2

A series of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[3,4-e]pyrimidin-6-ones was obtained by reaction of ammonium acetate with ethyl 7-dimethylaminovinylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylates and these had been prepared from ethyl 7-methylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylates by reaction with dimethylformamide dimethylacetal. Under these conditions the compounds bearing a 2-hydroxy group were also O-alkylated. During the preparation of the ethyl 2-hydroxy-7-methyl-3-phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylate the corresponding 5-methyl isomer was isolated and identified.