Pyrazolium

M.o. theory has had limited success in dealing with electrophilic substitution in the azoles. The performances of 7r-electron densities as indices of reactivity depends very markedly on the assumptions made in calculating them. - Localisation energies have been calculated for pyrazole and pyrazolium, and also an attempt has been made to take into account the electrostatic energy involved in bringing the electrophile up to the point of attack the model predicts correctly the orientation of nitration in pyrazolium. ... 

Base-catalyzed hydrogen exchange occurs at the 3- and 5-positions of 1,2-dimethyl-pyrazolium salts. 2-Unsubstituted 1,3-dithiolylium salts are easily deprotonated by nucleophilic attack of hydrogen. The intermediate carbene easily undergoes dimerization. Hydrogen exchange can also occur (Scheme 23) (80AHC(27)15l). 

Dithiolylium salts (483) may be converted into pyrazoles, pyrazolium salts and isothiazoles depending on the type and degree of substitution of the nitrogen source. 

The mesoionic compounds are derived from pyrazolium salts (22) when R is replaced by a negatively charged heteroatom, like the anhydro-4-hydroxypyrazolium hydroxide (28). According to Ollis and Ramsden (76AHC(l9)l) they belong to the mesoionic class B type. 

The hydrogen-deuterium exchange rates for 1,2-dimethylpyrazolium cation (protons 3 and 5 exchange faster than proton 4 Section 4.04.2.1.7(iii)) have been examined theoretically within the framework of the CNDO/2 approximation (73T3469). The final conclusion is that the relative reactivities of isomeric positions in the pyrazolium series are determined essentially by inductive and hybridization effects. 

The NMR spectra of pyrazolium and indazolium ions have been widely studied (Table 10), including both the conjugate acids and the quaternary salts. The spectra obtained in sulfuric acid prove unquestionably that the protonation of these species takes place at position 2 (Section 4.04.2.1.3(iv)). 

The Af-methyl chemical shifts of quaternary pyrazolium and indazolium salts have been discussed in connection with the resonance effect of the heterocycle (74JHC1011). 

Simple HMO calculations (68JCS(B)725) satisfactorily account for the UV spectra of a great number of pyrazoles substituted by methyl and phenyl groups. The spectra of pyrazolium and indazolium salts (free bases in IN HCl) have been compared with calculated transitions (Pariser-Parr-Pople method) (74MI40403). 

The behaviour under electron impact of IV- and C-trimethylsilylpyrazoles (mono-, di-and tri-substituted) has been studied by Birkofer et al. (740MS 8)347). Loss of a methyl radical followed by loss of HCN is the most common fragmentation feature of these compounds. When more than one trimethylsilyl group is present, a neutral fragment CaHgSi is expelled. Mass spectrometry of pyrazolium salts has been studied by Larsen etal. (8i OMS377, 830MS52). 

The general discussion (Section 4.02.1.4.1) on reactivity and orientation in azoles should be consulted as some of the conclusions reported therein are germane to this discussion. Pyrazole is less reactive towards electrophiles than pyrrole. As a neutral molecule it reacts as readily as benzene and, as an anion, as readily as phenol (diazo coupling, nitrosation, etc.). Pyrazole cations, formed in strong acidic media, show a pronounced deactivation (nitration, sulfonation, Friedel-Crafts reactions, etc.). For the same reasons quaternary pyrazolium salts normally do not react with electrophiles. 

Bromopyrazoles (298) react with fuming nitric acid in 80% sulfuric acid to give 4-nitropyrazoles (ipso nitration Section 4.04.2.3.7). When R was an alkyl group, nitration took place at C-3 giving (299) (a small amount of the dinitro derivative (300) was also obtained) (79AJC1727). Nitrodebromination proceeds from the protonated pyrazolium ion whereas 3-and 5-nitration were expected to involve the free base. 

Very little is known about nucleophilic attack on an unsubstituted carbon atom of pyrazoles and their aromatic derivatives (pyrazolones, pyrazolium ions). The SwAr reaction of halogenopyrazoles will be discussed in Section 4.04.2.3.7. Sulfur nucleophiles do not attack the ring carbon atoms of pyrazolium salts but instead the substituent carbon linked to nitrogen with concomitant dequaternization (Section 4.04.2.3.lO(ii)). The ring opening of pyrazolium salts by hydroxide ion occurs only if carbon C-3 is unsubstituted the exact mechanism is unknown and perhaps involves an initial attack of OH on C-3. 

Only two topics are of importance for this section the reduction of pyrazolium salts and 3-pyrazolin-5-ones by complex hydrides, and the nucleophilic photosubstitution of pyrazoles and indazoles. 

A mechanism has been proposed to rationalize the results shown in Figure 23. The relative proportion of the A -pyrazolines obtained by the reduction of pyrazolium salts depends on steric and electronic effects. When all the substituents are alkyl groups, the hydride ion attacks the less hindered carbon atom for example when = Bu only C-5 is attacked. The smaller deuterohydride ion is less sensitive to steric effects and consequently the reaction is less selective (73BSF288). Phenyl substituents, both on the nitrogen atom and on the carbon atoms, direct the hydride attack selectively to one carbon atom and the isolated A -pyrazoline has the C—C double bond conjugated with the phenyl (328 R or R = Ph). Open-chain compounds are always formed during the reduction of pyrazolium salts, becoming predominant in the reduction of amino substituted pyrazoliums. 

Figure 23 Reduction by complex hydrides of pyrazolones, thiopyrazolones, iminopyrazolines and pyrazolium salts...

Neither pyrazoles nor pyrazolium salts react by this mechanism which has been described for imidazoles and imidazolium salts (Section 4.01.1.7.4). As exchange rates show (Section 4.04.2.1.7(iii)), it is considerably more difficult to generate an ylide from a pyrazolium salt than from an imidazolium salt (at C-2). 

A -Pyrazolines such as (410) are oxidized by iodine, mercury(II) acetate and trityl chloride to pyrazolium salts (411), and compound (410) even reduces silver nitrate to Ag° (69JOU1480). Electrochemical oxidation of l,3,5-triaryl-2-pyrazolines has been studied in detail (74BSF768, 79CHE115). They Undergo oxidative dimerization and subsequent transformation into the pyrazole derivative (412). 

Analogous to the oxidation of hydrazones to azo compounds, A-unsubstituted pyrazolidines are oxidized to A -pyrazolines. For example, the blcyclic pyrazolidine (415) when treated with silver oxide yields the pyrazoline (416) (65JA3023). Pyrazolidine (417) is transformed into the perchlorate of the pyrazolium salt (411) by reaction with mercury(II) acetate in ethanol followed by addition of sodium perchlorate (69JOU1480). 

The acidic character of the hydrogen atoms of C-methyl groups linked to the pyrazolium ring (Figure 22 Section 4.04.2.1.1(11)) facilitates a number of reactions difficult to carry out with neutral pyrazoles. Since efficient methods of dealkylation have been described (Section 4.04.2.3.lO(ii)), the synthesis via the pyrazolium salt is a useful alternative. The same behaviour is observed for indazolium salts, for example, nucleophilic addition to aromatic aldehydes (78JOC1233). 

Derivatives like (491 R = Me) can be de-5-methylated by Raney nickel in ethanol or concentrated hydrochloric acid. Acid hydrolysis of (491 R = acyl) also affords 5-mercap-topyrazoles, whereas alkaline hydrolysis of the pyrazolium salt (495) furnishes methanethiol and antipyrine. 

Nitration in 80% sulfuric acid of 4-bromopyrazoles gives rise to considerable nitro-debromination (formation of 4-nitropyrazoles) (79AJC1727). The reaction takes place on the protonated pyrazolium ion (Section 4.04.2.1.4(ii)). 

Owing to their particular interest two individual reactions will now be discussed separately. The reaction of methoxycarbonylhydrazine and 3-bromo-2,4-pentanedione affords, in addition to the expected pyrazole (608), a pyrazolium salt (609), the structure of which was established by X-ray crystallography (74TL1987). Aryldiazonium salts have been used instead of arylhydrazines in the synthesis of pyrazolines (610) and pyrazoles (611) (82JOC81). These compounds are formed by free radical decomposition of diazonium salts by titanium(n) chloride in the presence of a,/3-ethylenic ketones. 

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