Conclusion
The commercial route described in this paper contains
all of the desired attributes required in chemical development,
namely:
dried in vacuo to give the title product (36.08 g, 90.6%). A
small reference sample of the purified product was obtained
by crystallisation from hexane/toluene: mp 115-116 °C.
Found C, 41.02; H, 3.27. C9H9ClO5S requires C, 40.84; H,
3.43%. H NMR (CDCl3) δ ) 1.64 (3H, t), 4.45 (2H, q),
7.26 (1H, d), 8.20 (1H, dd), 8.80 (1H, d).
1
• a safe, robust route
• a convergent synthesis
• a high yielding process [75.8% overall from pyrazole
(2) compared with the medicinal chemistry yield of 7.5%3]
• a high throughput in production plant
• an exceptionally low environmental impact.
2-Ethoxy-5-(4-methyl-1-piperazinesulphonyl)benzoic
Acid (Double Salt) (10). A solution of 5-chlorosulphonyl-
2-ethoxybenzoic acid (9) (50 g) in acetone (150 mL) was
added dropwise to a solution of triethylamine (28.9 mL) and
N-methylpiperazine (20.81 g) whilst keeping the temperature
below 20 °C. A white crystalline product formed during the
addition. After the mixture stirred for 1.5 h, the white solid
was collected by filtration, washed with acetone, and dried
in vacuo (78.97 g, 89.7%): mp 166-169 °C. Found C,
51.33; H, 8.14; N, 9.06; Cl, 8.02. C14H20N2O5S.C6H15N‚HCl
Experimental Section
Proton NMR data were recorded on a Varian Unity 300
spectrometer operating at 300 MHz. Microanalytical data
were performed by Exeter Analytical UK Ltd. Melting points
were determined on a Buchi melting point apparatus. The
experimental procedures below represent the reactions when
first discovered and may not be the final procedures selected
for scale-up into pilot plant trials.
1-Methyl-4-nitro-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxylic
Acid (2). 1-Methyl-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxylic acid
(1)3 (1.59 kg, 9.45 mol) dissolved in concentrated sulphuric
acid (6.36L) was heated to 50 °C and treated with a mixture
of fuming nitric acid (90%, 0.55 L) dissolved in concentrated
sulphuric acid (1.35 L). The addition was made over at least
2 h keeping the reaction temperature between 50 and 55 °C.
On completion of the addition the reaction was stirred for 8
h at 50 °C, cooled to room temperature, and then carefully
added to cold water (34 L, 4 °C) over 1 h, keeping the
temperature below 25 °C. The precipitated title compound
was granulated for 2 h, collected by filtration, and then dried
in vacuo at 50 °C to give a pale yellow solid (1.93 kg,
96%): mp 125-127 °C (lit.3 124-127 °C). 1H NMR
(CDCl3) δ ) 1.05 (3H, t), 1.74 (2H, hextet), 2.91(2H, t),
4.20 (3H, s), 9.35 [1H, s(br)].
1-Methyl-4-nitro-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxam-
ide (3). The carboxylic acid (2) (1 kg, 4.69mol) was slurried
in toluene (5 L) and a catalytic quantity of dimethylforma-
mide (37 mL) was added. The mixture was heated to 50 °C
and thionyl chloride (0.544 L, 7.5 mol) added over 10 min.
On completion of the addition the reaction was stirred and
heated for 55-60 °C for 6 h. The mixture was distilled under
vacuum (vessel temperature 55 to 65 °C) until 0.5 L of
solvent had been removed. The mixture was cooled to 20
°C and cold (5 °C) concentrated ammonia solution (6 L)
added over 100 min. The precipitated product was granulated,
collected by filtration, washed with water (2 × 2 L), and
dried at 50 °C to give an off white solid (0.92 kg, 92.3%):
mp 140-42 °C (lit.3 141-143 °C). 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 1.02
(3H, t), 1.74 (2H, hextet), 2.90 (2H, t), 4.07 (3H, s), 6.13
[1H, s (br)], 7.52 [1H, s(br)].
5-Chlorosulphonyl-2-ethoxybenzoic Acid (9). Molten
2-ethoxybenzoic acid (25 g) was added to a mixture of
thionyl chloride (11 mL) and chlorosulphonic acid (41.3 mL)
whilst keeping the temperature below 25 °C. The resulting
mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature before
being quenched into a mixture of ice (270 g) and water (60
mL). An off-white precipitate formed which was stirred for
60 min, collected by filtration and washed with water and
1
requires C, 51.54; H, 7.79; N, 9.02; Cl, 7.61%. H NMR
[(CD3)2SO] δ ) 1.17 (9H, t), 1.32 (3H, t), 2.15 (3H, s), 2.47
[6H, s (br)], 2.86 [2H, s(br)], 3.02 (6H, q), 4.18 (2H, q),
7.32 (1H, d), 7.78 (1H, dd), 7.85 (1H, d).
2-Ethoxy-5-(4-methyl-1-piperazinesulphonyl)benzoic
Acid(8). Method 1. The double salt (10) (30 g) was stirred
in water (120 mL) to give an almost clear solution. Rapid
crystallisation occurred, and after 2 h the solid was collected
by filtration, washed with water, and dried in vacuo to give
1
a white solid (14.61 g, 69.1%). H NMR [(CD3)2SO] δ )
1.31 (3H, t), 2.12 (3H, s), 2.34 [4H, s (br)], 2.84 [4H, s (br)],
4.20 (2H, q), 7.32(1H, d), 7.80 (1H, dd), 7.86(1H, s).
A small reference sample was obtained by recrystallisation
from aqueous alcohol, mp 201 °C. Found C, 51.09; H, 6.16;
N, 8.43. C14H20N2O5S requires C, 51.21; H, 6.14; N, 8.53%.
2-Ethoxy-5-(4-methyl-1-piperazinesulphonyl)benzoic
Acid (8). Method 2. The sulphonyl chloride (9) (34.4 g)
(dried or used directly as a wet cake) was added to 124 mL
of water and the resulting suspension cooled to 10 °C.
N-methylpiperazine (33.6 mL) was added, keeping the
temperature below 20 °C. The resulting solution was cooled
to 10 °C. After 5 min the title compound started to crystallise.
The solid was collected after 2 h and washed with ice water,
and the resulting solid was dried in vacuo (36.7 g, 86%).
Part of this material (15 g) was purified by heating in
refluxing acetone for 1 h. The suspension was cooled to room
temperature, and the crystalline solid was collected by
filtration and dried in vacuo to give a white solid (11.7 g):
1
mp 198-199 °C. H NMR [(CD3)2SO] in agreement with
that reported above.
4-Amino-1-methyl-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxam-
ide (12). The nitropyrazole3 (3) (237.7 g, 1.12 mol) was
suspended in ethyl acetate (2.02 L), and 47.5 g of 5%
palladium on carbon added. The resulting mixture was
hydrogenated at 50 °C and 50 psi for 4 h when the uptake
of hydrogen was complete. The reaction was cooled, and
the catalyst was filtered off and washed with ethyl acetate
to give an ethyl acetate solution of the title compound which
was used directly in the next step.
4-[2-Ethoxy-5-(4-methyl-1-piperazinylsulphonyl)ben-
zamido]-1-methyl-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide
(13). The benzoic acid (8) (408.6 g, 1.24 mol) was suspended
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