The reaction of 2-(5-amino-4-carbamoyl-1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl) acetic acid and triethylorthoformate did not give the expected dihydropyrazolo [4, 3-c] pyridin-4-one product as described in literature, but formed an alternative cyclic imide product, fully characterised by NMR and X-ray crystallography. This mode of reaction was shown to be general to other 1-substituted-2-(5-amino-4-carbamoyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl) acetic acids. The outcome of the ...