Keywords: 3-(4-formyl-1-pyrazolyl)propionic acids, 3-(4-pyrazolyl)acrylic acids, 3-(4-pyrazolyl)-propionic acids, microwave activation, reduction.In continuation of investigations started previously [1,2] on the design of polyfunctional pyrazoles, we have attempted to synthesize systems containing two carboxyl groups in the side chains. Convenient subjects for solving this problem are the 3-(4-formyl-1-pyrazolyl)propionic acids, described in [1], the aldehyde group of which may readily be converted sequentially into vinyl-and ethylcarboxyl functions. Derivatives of 3-pyrazolylacrylic and 3-pyrazolylpropionic acids attract the steady attention of investigators since substances with high pharmacological activity are found among them [3][4][5].For this reason we carried out the Knoevenagel reaction of 3-(3-aryl-4-formyl-1-pyrazolyl)propionic acids 1a-i with malonic acid under microwave activation conditions, which for some time past has been widely applied in the synthesis and conversions of heterocyclic compounds [6]. However, the microwave variant of the Knoevenagel reaction is limited by the use of chalcones and cinnamic acids in the synthesis [7]. We have found that the condensation of compounds 1a-i with malonic acid in pyridine in the presence of catalytic amounts of piperidine on microwave irradiation for 5 min leads to the formation of 3-[3-aryl-1-(2-ethoxycarbonyl)-4-pyrazolyl]acrylic acids 2a-i in 79-94% yield. It was shown, using aldehyde 1d as an example, that under the conditions of the classical Knoevenagel condensation (5 h boiling in pyridine), the yield of the desired product 2d was reduced by 6%.The compositions of acids 2a-i were in agreement with the results of elemental analysis (Table 1) and the structures with data of IR and 1 H NMR spectra (Table 2).There were triplets in the 1 H NMR spectra for the protons of the α-methylene (2.85-2.90 ppm) and β-methylene (4.35-4.41 ppm) groups, and doublets for the α-proton of the ethylenic bond at 6.13-6.22 ppm with coupling constant 15.9 Hz, which shows the trans structure of these acids. For compounds 2f,h,i it was possible