Isolation of the half-condensed pyrazoline intermediates en route to N-(1,10-phenanthroline)-pyrazole derivatives from the Knorr reaction

During the synthesis of 2-pyrazole-1,10-phenanthroline derivatives by the Knorr reaction from benzoylacetone and 2-hydrazine-1,10-phenanthroline, three half-condensed intermediates, the 5-hydroxyl pyrazolines (2b-2d), were isolated and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (for 2b and 2d). These pyrazoline intermediates could be readily dehydrated under the catalysis of acetic acid to afford the corresponding pyrazoles with high regioselectivity.