Reactions of dimethyl and di-tert-butyl 2-aryl-4-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-oxocyclohexane-1,3-dicarboxylates with difunctional nucleophiles

The nature of the alkyl group in the ester moieties of dimethyl and di-tert-butyl 2-aryl-4-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-oxocyclohexane-1,3-dicarboxylates affects the direction of their reactions with difunctional nucleophiles. The dimethyl esters react with hydrazine hydrate to give the corresponding tetrahydroindazoles, while their tert-butyl analogs are converted under similar conditions into 6-hydrazones. Reactions of both dimethyl and di-tert-butyl 6-oxocyclohexane-1,3-dicarboxylates with hydroxylamine lead to formation of 6-hydroxyimino derivatives.