solid (622 g). Kugelrohr (85-95 °C/0.05 mmHg) distillation
gave a yellow solid (469 g). Recrystallization (hexane) gave
368 g (65% yield) of 5a in three crops as yellow needles,
mp 82-83 °C. Calcd for C14H9F4NO: C, 59.37; H, 3.20;
N, 4.95. Found: C, 59.43; H, 3.18; N, 4.83.
2H), meso: 2.60 (ddd, 1H, J ) 7.0, 7.4, 14.2), 3.09 (ddd,
1H, J ) 7.0, 7.4, 14.2), 4.87 (dd, 2H, J ) 7.4, 7.4), 7.05
(dd, 4H, JH-H ) 8.6, JH-F ) 8.6), 7.36 (d, 2H, J ) 8.2),
7.81 (dd, 2H, J ) 2.5, 8.3), 7.99 (dd, 4H, JH-H ) 8.9, JH-F
) 5.4), 8.7 (m, 2H). Calcd for C29H18F8N2O2: C, 60.21; H,
3.14; N, 4.84. Found: C, 59.97; H, 3.16; N, 4.90.
1
Ketone: H NMR δ 4.53 (s, 2H), 7.13 (dd, 2H, J ) 8.5,
8.5), 7.44 (d, 1H, J ) 8.0), 7.9 (m, 1H), 8.08 (dd, 2H, J )
5.4, 8.9), 8.8 (m, 1H).
Table 2. Entry 3 (Similar Experiments Were Done for
Entries 1, 2, 4-6, and 10). To a solution of 8a (0.55 g,
1.86 mmol) in 3 mL of DMF at room temperature was added
hydrazine monohydrate (0.16 mL, 3.3 mmol). After 15 min
the mixture was added to 50 mL of EtOAc and was washed
with a saturated NaCl solution (3 × 50 mL) and dried
(MgSO4) to afford 0.55 g of yellow powder, an 82:18 mixture
of 12a:13a by NMR. Recrystallization from EtOAc/hexane
gave 0.30 g (49% yield) of 12a as white plates, mp 101-
103 °C. MS (m/z) 497 (4), 496 (17), 309 (31), 308 (21), 282
Enol: 1H NMR δ 6.06 (s, 1H), 7.09 (dd, 2H, J ) 8.7,
8.7), 7.13 (d, 1H, J ) 8.5), 7.79 (dd, 1H, J ) 2.4, 7.9), 7.83
(dd, 2H, J ) 5.4, 9.0), 8.6 (m, 1H), 14.97 (s, 1H).
2-(5-Cyano-2-pyridyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)ethanone (5b).
Prepared according to 5a from 3 (10.0 mL, 11.4 g, 82.4
mmol), 60% NaH (8.2 g, 210 mmol), and 2-chloro-5-
cyanopyridine (11.4 g, 82.3 mmol) in THF (90 mL) to give
15.3 g (77%) of 5b as fine orange needles, mp 166-167
°C. Calcd for C14H9FN2O: C, 70.00; H, 3.78; N, 11.66.
Found: C, 69.62; H, 3.85; N, 11.36.
Enol: 1H NMR δ 6.05 (s, 1H), 7.1 (m, 3H), 7.76 (dd,
1H, J ) 2.1, 8.5), 7.82 (dd, 2H, J ) 5.4, 8.9), 8.57 (d, 1H,
J ) 1.8), 10.36 (br s, 1H).
Preparation of 1-(4-Fluorophenyl)-2-(5-trifluoromethyl-
2-pyridyl)propenone (8a). A solution of ethanone 5a (2.7
g, 9.5 mmol) and Ac2O (2.0 mL, 2.2 g, 21 mmol) in
methylene chloride (4 mL) was added to a stirred solution
of BDAM (2.2 mL, 1.6 g, 16 mmol) in methylene chloride
(4 mL) at -15 °C. After 5 min the mixture was partitioned
between 1:1 Et2O/pentane and H2O. The organic layer was
washed with water (2 × 50 mL), a 5% solution of HCl (50
mL), a saturated NaCl solution (50 mL), and dried (MgSO4)
to afford 3.0 g (99% yield) of 8a as an orange red oil. MS
(m/z) 295(1), 294 (1), 267 (46), 266 (100), 123 (89), 95 (86),
75 (38). 1H NMR δ 5.89 (s, 1H), 6.72 (s, 1H), 7.12 (dd, 2H,
J ) 8.6, 8.6), 7.62 (d, 1H, J ) 8.0), 7.90 (dd, 1H, J ) 2.5,
8.3), 7.94 (dd, 2H, J ) 5.4, 8.9), 8.8 (m, 1H).
Preparation of 2-(5-Cyano-2-pyridyl)-1-(4-fluorophe-
nyl)propenone (8b). Prepared according to 8a from ethanone
5b (3.04 g, 12.7 mmol) to give 2.54 g (80%) of 8b as a
yellow powder, mp 91-92 °C. 1H NMR δ 5.94 (s, 1H), 6.79
(s, 1H), 7.12 (dd, 2H, J ) 8.6, 8.6), 7.63 (dd, 1H, J ) 0.7,
8.3), 7.9 (m, 3H), 8.82 (dd, 1H, J ) 0.7, 2.1). Calcd for
C15H9FN2O: C, 71.42; H, 3.60; N, 11.11. Found: C, 71.79;
H, 3.86; N, 11.38. Calcd for C15H9F4NO: C, 61.02; H, 3.07;
N, 4.74. Found: C, 59.99, H, 3.20; N, 4.82.
1
(17), 281 (26), 280 (10), 187 (19), 163 (100), 147 (14). H
NMR δ 3.09 (t, 2H, J ) 5.0), 3.38 (t, 2H, J ) 5.0), 7.07 (t,
2H, J ) 6.5), 7.33 (d, 1H, J ) 6.1), 7.72 (m, 2H), 7.82 (dd,
2H, J ) 2.1, 6.0), 8.2 (br s, 1H), 8.77 (s, 1H). 13C NMR δ
36.703, 50.869, 115.757, 123.028, 123.872, 124.454, 128.897,
129.186, 133.613, 146.148, 163.929, 164.925, 166.227. Calcd
for C15H13F4N3O: C, 55.05; H, 4.00; N, 12.84. Found: C,
55.15; H, 4.20; N, 12.75.
Table 2. Entry 8 (Similar Experiments Were Done for
Entries 7 and 9). To an NMR tube containing 5a (0.14 g,
0.5 mmol) in 0.6 mL of CD2Cl2 cooled in an ice bath was
added BDAM (0.068 mL, 0.5 mmol) followed by TFA
(0.039 mL, 5 mmol). The tube was warmed to room
temperature over 10 min to cleanly give 7a (1H NMR δ 2.7
(s, 6H), 2.92 (dd, 1H, J ) 7.3, 12.6), 3.22 (dd, 1H, J ) 7.3,
12.6), 5.27 (t, 1H, J ) 6.4), 7.12 (t, 2H, J ) 8.5), 7.57 (d,
1H, J ) 8.2), 7.9 (d, 1H, J ) 8.2), 8.10 (dd, 2H, J ) 5.4,
8.8), 8.8 (br s, 1H)). Anhydrous hydrazine (0.047 mL, 1.5
mmol) was added, and after 1.5 h a 2:98 ratio of 12a:13a
(1H NMR δ 3.72 (dd, 1H, J ) 3.8, 9.8), 4.03 (dd, 1H, J )
9.9, 10.8), 4.80 (dd, 1H, J ) 3.7, 10.7), 5.5 (br s, 1H), 6.91
(dd, 2H, J ) 8.8, 8.8), 7.39 (dd, 1H, J ) 0.9, 8.2), 7.59 (dd,
2H, J ) 5.4, 9.0), 7.88 (dd, 1H, J ) 2.2, 8.2), 8.75 (dd, 1H,
J ) 0.9, 2.2)) was observed.
Preparation of 4,5-Dihydro-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-N-(4-
trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-(5-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridyl)-
1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamide (1). A solution of TFA (81 mL,
120 g, 1.05 mol) in methylene chloride (400 mL) was
added to solution of ethanone 5a (283 g, 1.00 mol) and of
BDAM (143 mL, 107 g, 1.05 mol) in methylene chloride (1
L) at -4 °C over 1 h while maintaining the temperature
below 0 °C. After stirring an additional 1 h, anhydrous
hydrazine (95.0 mL, 97.0 g, 3.03 mol) was added over 30
min while maintaining the temperature below 10 °C. The
mixture was allowed to warm to ambient temperature over
16 h and was added to ice/water (1.2 L). The organic layer
was washed with a saturated solution of NH4Cl (2 × 500
mL), dried (MgSO4), and filtered. A solution of 4-(trifluo-
romethyl)phenyl isocyanate (187 g, 1.00 mol) in methylene
chloride (200 mL) was added to the solution of pyrazoline
13a over 30 min while maintaining the temperature below
30 °C. After 1 h, the mixture was diluted with Et2O (1.5 L)
Preparation of (2RS,4RS)- and (2RS,4SR)-1,5-Bis(4-
fluorophenyl)-2,4-bis(5-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridyl)-1,5-
pentanedione (9a). A solution of ethanone 5a (2.83 g, 9.99
mmol) in absolute EtOH (20 mL) was treated sequentially
with Me2NH‚HCl (0.90 g, 11 mmol) and paraformaldehyde
(0.48 g, 15 mmol). The resulting yellow solution was heated
at reflux for 1 h causing a colorless solution. Upon cooling
a white solid formed. The solid was collected to afford 2.33
g (81% yield) of 9a as a 1.3:1 mixture of dl to meso
diasteromers. Recrystallization (acetone/hexanes) gave pure
dl as clear prisms, mp 159-160 °C. 1H NMR δ dl: 2.87 (t,
2H, J ) 7.1), 4.97 (t, 2H, J ) 7.1), 6.99 (dd, 4H, JH-H
)
8.6, JH-F ) 8.6), 7.47 (d, 2H, J ) 8.2), 7.85 (dd, 2H, J )
2.5, 8.3), 7.89 (dd, 4H, JH-H ) 9.0, JH-F ) 5.3), 8.7 (m,
270
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Vol. 7, No. 3, 2003 / Organic Process Research & Development