Synthesis and structure of pyrazolo[5,1-a]isoindol-8-ones from Aromatic Ortho Diesters

The title compounds 2 , have now been shown to arise in certain cases from condensation of aromatic ortho-diesters with ketone, where formerly only indeno[1,2-c]pyrazol-4(1H)-ones 3 have been reported from such reaction. Heretofore 2 was obtained in a less direct fashion from phthalaldehydic acid esters. When hetero-aromatic diesters were employed, new heterocyclic ring systems as represented by 2a,b ,c were prepared for the first time. Structures of 2 have been verified from detailed ¹H and ¹³C nmr studies, while representative intermediates 4–9 in the condensation of diesters to 2 have been isolated and identified.