Three closely related 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridines: synthesis, molecular conformations and hydrogen...

In each of 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-methylsulfonyl-3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridine, C₂₁H₁₉F₄N₃O₂S, (I), 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-methylsulfonyl-3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridine, C₂₁H₁₉ClF₃N₃O₂S, (II), and 1-(3-methylphenyl)-5-methylsulfonyl-3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridine, C₂₂H₂₂F₃N₃O₂S, (III), the reduced pyridine ring adopts a half-chair conformation with the methylsulfonyl substituent occupying an equatorial site. Although compounds (I) and (II) are not isostructural, having the space groups Pbca and P2₁2₁2₁, respectively, their molecular conformations are very similar, but the conformation of compound (III) differs from those of (I) and (II) in the relative orientation of the N-benzyl and methylsulfonyl substituents. In compounds (II) and (III), but not in (I), the trifluoromethyl groups are disordered over two sets of atomic sites. Molecules of (I) are linked into centrosymmetric dimers by C-H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds, molecules of (II) are linked by two C-H...O hydrogen bonds to form ribbons of R₃³(18) rings, which are themselves further linked by a C-Cl...π(arene) interaction, and a combination of C-H...O and C-H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds links the molecules of (III) into sheets. Comparisons are made with the structures of some related compounds.