Reaction of 2-dimethylaminomethylene-1,3-diones with dinucleophiles. VI. Synthesis of ethyl or methyl 1,5-disubstituted 1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylates

Reaction of ethyl or methyl 3-oxoalkanoates with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal gave, generally in excellent yields, a series of ethyl or methyl 2-dimethylaminomethylene-3-oxoalkanoates II which reacted with phenylhydrazine to afford the esters of 5-substituted 1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acids III in high yields. Esters III were hydrolyzed to the relative 5-substituted 1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acids which were converted by heating to 5-substituted 1-phenyl-1H-pyrazoles in excellent yields. Reaction of II with methylhydrazine afforded in general a mixture of 3- and 5-substituted ethyl 1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylates with the exception of IIg , which gave in high yield methyl 5-benzyl-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate, which was hydrolyzed to the relative pyrazolecarboxylic acid. This afforded by heating 5-benzyl-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole in quantitative yield.