The interplay of hydrogen bonds in the solid state structure of NH-pyrazoles bearing cyano and amino substituents

The annular tautomeric equilibrium of two 4-cyano-3(5)-aminopyrazoles having hydrogen atom or methyl group in position 5(3) was studied by X-ray crystallography for the solid compounds and by DFT B3LYP/6-31G** and CBS-QB3 calculations for the free molecules. The 3-amino tautomer was found to be the more favorable form for the free molecules and the sole form in the solid state.