The title compounds 3, a new series of 3,5-pyrazolidinediones, have be
en synthesized at room temperature by a one-pot reaction between keton
e hydrazone 1, PCl3 and malonic acid. Changing the order of addition o
f reagents, or their simultaneous addition, gave identical results. In
all me procedures the yields are good and in the cases a,b,c and g th
e E-alkenyl isomer was obtained as the exclusive isomer. A dual mechan
ism which depends on the order of addition of the reactants is hypothe
sised.