Concentrated H2SO4 (4 mL) was added dropwise at 0° C. to a stirred solution of the [1-(2-chlorophenyl)-5-{5-[3-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-2-thienyl}-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]acetonitrile (148 mg, 0.33 mmol) in a mixture of MeOH—H2O (10:1, 11 mL), and the resulting mixture was stirred at 90° C. overnight. The mixture was diluted with cold water, then basified with Na2CO3 solid, extracted with EtOAc. The combined extracts were washed with brine, dried over Na2SO4, and evaporated in vacuo. The crude product was purified by flash chromatography (0-40% 20% MeOH/DCM) to afford the title compound as a white solid (131 mg, 82%). 1HNMR (CDCl3): δ 8.04 (m, 1H), 7.83-7.81 (m, 1H), 7.73-7.71 (m, 1H), 7.57-7.41 (m, 5H), 7.20 (d, 1H), 6.75 (d, 1H), 6.69 9s, 1H), 3.82 9s, 2H), 3.79 (s, 3H), 3.08 (s, 3H). MS(ES): 487 [M+H]+.
