A new and efficient approach to pyrazolines. First synthesis of 3-aryl-5-dichloromethyl-2-pyrazolines

An efficient synthetic method for dichloromethylated pyrazolines has been established. 1-Aryl-4,4-dichlorobut-3-en-1-ones 4 were efficiently prepared by treatment of acetophenones with anhydrous chloral, followed by dehydration and reductive dechlorination. Compounds 4 reacted with hydrazine hydrate and methylhydrazine to give the respective 5-dichloromethyl-2-pyrazolines in high to quantitative yields. The molecular structure of 5-dichoromethyl-1-methyl-3-(2-naphthyl)-2-pyrazoline has been determined by X-ray crystallography.