Au(I)-catalyzed and iodine-mediated cyclization of enynylpyrazoles to provide pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridines

Pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridines and 6-iodopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridines were synthesized by gold-catalyzed and iodine-mediated cyclization of enynylpyrazoles in good to excellent yields, respectively. The iodinated adducts were further converted to 6-arylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridines via Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction and 6-cyanopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine by Ullmann condensation reaction. One of the cyclization adducts, 2-(4-fluorophenyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine, was converted to a p38 kinase inhibitor, 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(4-pyridinyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine, in two steps.