To a stirred solution of 3,4-diethoxybenzoic acid (0.71 mmol, 150 mg) in CH2Cl2 was added SOCl2 at room temperature; the reaction was refluxed for 1.5 h and the mixture concentrated under reduced pressure to yield 3,4-diethoxybenzoylchloride quantitatively. To a stirred suspension of Na2CO3 (1.42 mmol, 150.52 mg) and pyridine-4-carbohydrazide (0.71 mmol, 97 mg) in NMP (0.8 mL) was added a solution of the 3,4-diethoxybenzoylchloride in NMP (0.8 mL) and the reaction was stirred for 12 h at room temperature. The mixture was poured into 20 mL of cold H2O and filtered. The precipitated intermediate was dried in vacuum. The solid was added to POCl3 (5 mL) and heated to 70-72° C. for 6 h. The solution was poured into an ice-water container and neutralized with a solution of NaOH (2M). The precipitated product was filtered and purified by column chromatography using CH2Cl2:MeOH (9:1) to yield the product as white solid in 67% yield (150 mg). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 8.84 (bs, 2H), 7.99 (d, J=4.4 Hz, 2H), 7.67 (dd, J1=2.0, J2=8.4 Hz, 1H), 7.64 (d, J=2.0 Hz, 1H), 6.98 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 4.20 (q, J=7.2 Hz, 2H), 4.18 (q, J=7.2 Hz, 2H), 1.51 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.50 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ165.81, 162.46, 152.51, 150.84, 149.20, 131.52, 128.05, 120.97, 115.77, 112.78, 111.58, 65.05, 64.80, 14.92, 14.85. MS (EI) m/z: 312 (M+), HRMS (EI) for C17H17N3O3 (M+): calcd 312.1343. found 312.1350.
