Synthesis of 4-Acylpyrazoles from Saturated Ketones and Hydrazones Featured with Multiple C(sp3)-H Bond Functionalization and C-C Bond Cleavage and Reorganization.

In this paper, an efficient and convenient one-pot synthesis of diversely substituted 4-acylpyrazole derivatives via copper-catalyzed one-pot cascade reactions of saturated ketones with hydrazones is reported. Mechanistically, the formation of the title compounds involves the in situ formation of an enone intermediate through the dehydrogenation of a saturated ketone and the [2 + 3] cyclization of the enone with hydrazone followed by an aromatization-driven C-C bond cleavage and reorganization. To our knowledge, this is the first example in which the biologically and pharmaceutically important yet otherwise difficult-to-obtain 4-acylpyrazole derivatives are directly prepared from saturated ketones and hydrazones featured with multiple aliphatic C-H bond functionalization and C-C bond cleavage and reorganization. Compared with literature methods, this novel process has advantages such as simple and economical starting materials, a sustainable oxidant, excellent regioselectivity, and good efficiency.