An alternative approach to the synthesis of [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-8-carbonitriles, their crystal structure, and DFT calculations

New representatives of [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-8-carbonitriles were synthesized via the condensation of β-diketones or β-dialdehydes and characterized using MS spectrometry, ¹H, ¹³C and, ¹⁹F NMR and IR spectroscopy. Crystal structures of two compounds were established using X-ray analysis and showed that title compounds are prone to the formation of planar molecules. The absence of band responsible for CN stretching vibration in trifluoromethyl-containing compounds was explained using the DFT calculations method, which also showed a significant influence of fluorines introducing on the energy gap between HOMO and LUMO.