To a solution of 3-(4-chloro-benzylsulfanyl)-pentane-2,4-dione (1.15 g, 4.48 mmol) in ethanol (60 mL) was added (4-pyridin-2-yl-pyrimidin-2-yl)-hydrazine (0.838 g, 4.48 mmol) and p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (ca. 20 mgs). The solution was heated to reflux and stirred for 5 hours. The reaction mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and water (200 mL) was added. The precipitate that formed was isolated by filtration and recrystallized from aqueous methanol to provide 1.36 g (74%) of the product as white needles: 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 8.94-8.92 (m, 1H), 8.75-8.73 (m, 1H), 8.41 (d, J=7.9 Hz, 1H), 8.28-8.26 (m, 1H), 7.91 (t, J=7.9 Hz, 1H), 7.46-7.43 (m, 1H), 7.20 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 2H), 6.89 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 2H), 3.66 (s, 2H), 2.46 (s, 3H), 2.28 (s, 3H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3) δ 164.6, 160.5, 157.4, 155.2, 153.5, 149.8, 147.3, 137.6, 137.2, 133.1, 130.6, 128.7, 126.1, 122.2, 114.7, 111.3, 40.1, 14.2, 12.6 ppm.
