Efficient syntheses of approximately 70 simple substituted representatives of pyrazolo[3,4-Olpyridine 1 are reported from the following: ( a ) suitably substituted pyridines onto which a pyrazole ring is annelated, and (6) appropriately substituted pyrazoles onto which a pyridine ring is annelated. Selected examples of electrophilic, nucleophilic, and homolytic substitution reactions and group transformations are described, providing regiosynthetic paths to useful intermediate species. Some (26)). Our interest in synthesis and reactivity of the parent compound and its substitution products arises from promise shown as inhibitors of xanthine oxidases (27). A minor portion of our work has been reported in another study of purine analogues (28), and we have also described the synthesis of the parent system by rearrangement accompanying decarboxylation of pyrazolo[l,5-alpyrimidine carboxylic acids (29).This paper reports efficient syntheses of pyrazolo[3,4-blpyridines from (a) suitably substituted pyridines onto which a pyrazole ring is annelated, and (b) appropriately substituted pyrazoles onto which a pyridine ring is annelated. We present examples of electrophilic, nucleophilic, and homolytic substitution reactions and group transformations providing regiosynthetic paths to useful intermediate species. Aspects of substituent chemical shift influences in the 'H and 13C nr111. spectra are illustrated.