Copper(I)-catalysed regioselective synthesis of pyrazolo[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazoles: A DFT mechanistic study

Abstract Formation of pyrazolo[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazoles by means of Cu(I)-catalysed [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions of C,N-cyclic azomethine imines with phenylacetylene, experimentally reported by Katritzky et al. (JOC 2012, 77, 5813), was studied using the density functional theory (DFT) method. Comparison with the uncatalysed 32CA reaction indicates that the Cu(I) catalyst provides new reaction pathways with lower electronic energy barriers in dichloromethane as solvent. The mechanism proposed by Katritzky for the Cu(I) catalysed reaction is compared with that proposed by Sharpless et al. (JACS 127, 2005, 210). The major difference between these two mechanisms lies in the coordination …