The chemistry of 4-hydrazino-7-phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a] -1,3,5-triazines

The reaction of 4-hydrazino-7-phenylpyrazolo1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine ( 4 ) with nitrous acid gave 8-phenyltetrazolo1,5-e]pyrazolo1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine ( 5b ), which was determined by pmr and ir spectra to be in equilibrium with 4-azido-7-phenylpyrazolo1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine ( 5a ). The equilibrium between the tetrazolo ( 5b ) and azido ( 5a ) forms was studied by pmr and an attempt was made to determine if substituents in the pyrazole nucleus could sufficiently stabilize the tricyclic tetrazolo form ( 5b ) over the bicyclic azido form ( 5a ). Thermal degradation of 5 (a ? b) in an aprotic solvent gave 4-amino-7-phenylpyrazolo1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine ( 7 ), indicating the probability of a nitrene mechanism involved in the decomposition. Heating 5 in aqueous base gave both 7 and the “hydroxy” analog, 7-phenylpyrazolo1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazin-4(3H)one ( 6 ), further substantiating the existence of a nitrene intermediate with a competing nucleophilic displacement of the azido group by a hydroxyl group. Cyclization of 4 with diethoxymethylacetate (DEMA) gave 8-phenyl-s-triazolo4,3-e]pyrazolo1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine ( 8 ), which underwent thermal rearrangement to 8-phenyl-s-triazolo2,3-e]pyrazolo1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine ( 9 ). Acid catalyzed ring opening of 9 with formic acid gave 3-N-formamido-5-phenyl-2(2-s-triazolyl)pyrazole ( 10 ). The failure of 10 to recyclize to 9 with the resultant loss of water, supported the theory that the rearrangement of 8 to 9 might occur simply as a concerted, thermally induced “anhydrous” rearrangement rather than via a covalently hydrated intermediate or a Dimroth type mechanism (in the base catalyzed rearrangement).