Structure and tautomerism of 4-substituted 3(5)-aminopyrazoles in solution and in the solid state: NMR study and Ab initio calculations

Annular tautomerism of 3(5)-aminopyrazoles containing a cyano, thiocyanato, or aryl substituent in the 4-position has been studied by ¹H and ¹³C NMR in solution, cross-polarization and magic-angle spinning ¹³C NMR in the solid state, and ab initio quantum chemical calculations (B3LYP/6-31G**). The title compounds in the solid state exist as 3-amino tautomers. A rare case of slow (on the NMR time scale) annular prototropic tautomerism has been observed in DMSO-d ₆: signals of particular tautomers (3- and 5-aminopyrazoles) have been detected in the NMR spectra. 4-Cyano and 4-thiocyanato derivatives exist preferentially as 5-amino tautomers, whereas 4-methoxy analog is represented mainly by the 3-amino tautomers. Ab initio calculations (B3LYP/6-31G**) for the gas phase and DMSO solution (in terms of the polarizable continuum model) have shown increase of the relative stability of more polar 5-amino tautomer in going to DMSO.