in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).The scopes of three synthetic methods reported for the preparation of an array of 3-pyrazolecarboxylates featuring substituents on position 4 were investigated. The first one is based on the potassium permanganate oxidation of methylpyrazoles. The second starts with the condensation between DMF dimethylacetal and ethyl pyruvate and is followed by the addition of hydrazine hydrochloride. The last one makes use of the cycloaddition of diazomethane on acrylate esters followed by a bromine-based oxidative rearrangement into 4-substituted 3-pyrazole esters.In the course of our work [1-7] on the design of chemical libraries with a potential against infectious disease, we were led to synthesize 3-pyrazolecarboxylic acid derivatives preferably lacking a substituent on carbon 5. From the available synthetic methods reported [8-10], three different approaches were used. The controlled oxidation of 3-methylpyrazoles derivatives 1a-e into acids 2a-e using potassium permanganate was first investigated [11-15] (Scheme 1). It appeared that this method is limited by some decarboxylation taking place in refluxing water. Moreover, the lack of solubility of potential reaction substrates, at RT, often prevented less stringent methyl oxidation. Further purification by recrystallization of the rather water-soluble acids was often found necessary and thus led to pure compounds 2a-e in yields no higher than 16%.We then investigated the recently reported preparation of ethyl-3-pyrazolecarboxylate from ethylpyruvate [16]. From the reaction between DMF dimethylacetal and the two pyruvate derivatives 3a-b, followed by addition of hydrazine hydrochloride on the resulting Mannich bases 4a-b, we could extend this original method and prepare esters 5a-b (Scheme 2). The quite low yields obtained are due to the occurrence of many unidentified side compounds. From the benzyl-bearing substrate 3a, we could isolate in 18% yield and fully characterize the furan derivative 6. This side compound, which results from a dimerization of compound 3a under the reaction conditions, illustrates the difficulties we encountered with this synthetic method. A related preparation of such furan derivative has actually been reported [17]. From esters 5a-b, an acidic hydrolysis led to sizable amount (75%) of the target acids 7c but much smaller (5%) amount of the diacid 7d.Far more pyrazole derivatives were made by the welldescribed cycloaddition of diazomethane on a,b-unsaturated esters [18][19][20]. From the acrylates 8a-k, this cycloaddition led to the intermediates 9a-k. No attempts were made to isolate these compounds, and the following oxidative rearrangement into 4-substituted 3-pyrazole esters 10a-k was achieved with bromine. As described in the experimental part, the commercially unavailable a,b-unsaturated esters were prepared by acid-catalyzed esterification of the available acids or by using the greatly optimized condensation of malonic acid monoethylester on aldehydes [21]. To minimize the handling of the c...