Regiospecific synthesis of 5-silyl azoles

5-Silylisoxazoles bearing other silyl groups different to the more usual trimethylsilyl have been prepared by condensation of silylalkynones with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The reaction with hydrazines is more complex and leads to 5-silylpyrazoles or the corresponding hydrazones, which can be cyclized by reaction with electrophiles. This has allowed us to synthesize 5-silylpyrazoles functionalized at C-4 by groups impossible to introduce by electrophilic substitution of the pyrazole nucleus. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.