X-ray supramolecular structure, NMR spectroscopy and synthesis of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-chromeno[4,3-c]pyrazol-4-ones formed by the unexpected cyclization of 3-[1-(phenyl-hydrazono)ethyl]-chromen-2-ones.

The molecular structures of nine 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-chromeno[4,3-c]pyrazol-4-one isomers, obtained by the oxidative cyclization of the corresponding 1-phenylhydrazono chromen-2-ones with copper acetate as catalyst, are reported. The molecular and supramolecular structures of the 8-chloro, 8-bromo- and 8-nitro isomers 2b-d, were established by X-ray diffraction. The halogenated isomers 2b and 2c are isomorphs, they crystallize as a triclinic system, space group P-1 with two molecules in the asymmetric unit. Compound 2d crystallizes as a monoclinic system, space group P2₁/m with two molecules in the unit cell. The 1-phenyl ring [Cg(4)] is almost perpendicularly positioned to the chromene-pyrazole ring system. This conformation is in agreement with the anisotropic NMR shielding effect exerted by the phenyl ring over H-9 in solution. The supramolecular architecture is almost controlled by C-H···A (A = O, p) and face to face p-stacking interactions. The observed p-stacking trend between chromene and pyrazole rings is given by the overlapping between the best donor and acceptor rings in each compound.